A brighter outlook for flood-stricken areas

There was finally some better if not good news from the country's flooded regions on Saturday, as water levels stagnated or fell. 

The state of emergency has been lifted for the Korana River in Karlovac and the Una in Hrvatska Kostajnica. However, it is still in effect in Farkašić.

The Kupa is receding slowly but emergency crews and volunteers are still vigilant in Petrinja. The army is filling sandbags for box barriers that will fortify the levees.

"I'm selling the house for very little money, if anyone's interested. It's right next to the river. My two children and I have to leave this place. My hair didn't turn gray from good stuff happening,” Marica, a local resident told HRT.

Sandra, another local said flooding in the Petrinja area was becoming more frequent.

"Every year, when there's flooding, the same thing happens. The water gets into our yard and we are stuck. Our main fashion accessory is rubber boots!" she said.

Petrinja Mayor Magdalena Komes said the city must remain vigilant and cautious because the danger was not over.

"Until the water falls by 30 to 40 cm, the pressure on the dykes is still very high, especially on the sections that were damaged in the earthquake, where we've but up temporary barriers,” Komes said.

Minister Tomo Medved and the head of the national water management company Hrvatske Vode, Zoran Đuroković, inspected today the situation on the ground in Petrinja.

"Being aware of the danger, Hrvatske vode, the Amy, Civil Defense, and fighters have been working for days to fortify this levee to keep the people of Petrinja safe and so that the water of high water can pass through Petrinja safely,” said Medved.

In Karlovac, the Korana and Kupa Rivers were gradually receding. More than 160 homes in Karlovac have been damaged by the flooding. The water has seeped into asphalt, causing lots of potholes on local roads. Although many areas are still flooded, the situation improved a bit today.

"The water has been here since Tuesday. It didn't get into our home. But the local grocery store is flooded. We have to hop into the boat and row to our car. Same thing on the way back,” said Katarina Žeger, a resident of Šišlhavić.

"It's rough. People have to get to school, to work but they can't. We're isolated. Even if there is just a little flooding, we get cut off,” said Matija Purgar, a young man from Koritinja.

Interior Minister Davor Božinović was in Obrovac on Saturday inspecting the flood damage in Obrovac and Gračac. The minister said that these unprecedented floods demonstrated that the emergency response system worked and that no one was seriously injured.

"We are here today, after this disaster, to work together on plans and implementation measures so that we can be as prepared as possible for the next crisis because, unfortunately, more of them are coming,” said Božinović.

Božinović was accompanied by Regional Development and EU Funds Minister Šime Erlić.

"I am confident that we can identify public infrastructure that comes at an acceptable cost and qualifies for EU funding and that we can use this funding to rebuild and fix what has been damaged,” said Erlić.