Chaos After Storm: Water Enters Parts of Hospital in Varaždinske Toplice

A powerful storm packing heavy rain and hail struck Croatia's Varaždin County on Sunday afternoon, triggering numerous problems and widespread flooding. Firefighters were particularly busy, responding to 61 emergency calls between 4:40 PM and 7 PM, mostly to pump water out of inundated structures. The deluge caused significant disruptions, with 43 instances of water being pumped from basements and utility buildings, ten trees being removed, five flood defense interventions, and one landslide.

The most severe impacts were observed in the area stretching from Bednja to Varaždinske Toplice. Here, the intense rainfall led to the flooding of numerous roads, yards, basements, ground floors of homes, and commercial properties. The Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation Varaždinske Toplice was also affected, with water seeping into the basement and ground-floor areas of three of its buildings: Terma, Dom 2, and the Spinal Center.

Hospital officials stressed that the flooded areas did not house patients and that their safety and accommodation were never at risk. Varaždin County Prefect Anđelko Stričak, accompanied by local officials, visited the hospital during the evening. He expressed gratitude to the firefighters and hospital staff for their swift actions, which he stated prevented greater damage. "Thanks to the quick intervention of firefighters and all employees of the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation, greater damage was prevented. They immediately came to the rescue, pumped out the water, and everything possible will be repaired during the night," Stričak said.

Approximately 430 patients are currently receiving treatment at the hospital, with an additional 600 outpatient appointments scheduled for Monday morning. The prefect assured that measures would be taken overnight to prepare the flooded spaces for regular operations and patient therapies. While most treatments are expected to proceed as planned, electrotherapy sessions might be temporarily postponed. The hospital will also inspect X-ray and densitometry equipment for safety and check all electrical installations before resuming full operations. Patients will be informed of any changes.

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Thanks to the quick intervention of firefighters and all employees of the Special Hospital for Medical Rehabilitation, greater damage was prevented. They immediately came to the rescue, pumped out the water, and everything possible will be repaired during the night.