Following widespread flooding due to a severe storm, Romanian officials have worked hard to mitigate the destruction of a valuable local asset and tourist attraction.
What happened?
In May, a storm brought torrential rain to parts of Romania, including Harghita County, which sits at the center of the country. The resulting floods left communities reeling, with the Romania Insider reporting the evacuation of at least 45 homes.
The flooding significantly impacted Harghita, home to the Praid salt mine, which Reuters identified as one of the largest salt reserves in Europe. The mine is also a popular tourist attraction, featuring an underground restaurant and playground and bringing in hundreds of thousands of people a year.
With dangerous floodwaters and rising streams, the mine became a key concern for local officials. As reported by Agence France-Presse, Romania's Environment Minister, Mircea Fechet, spoke to a local station regarding this very "real tragedy" and its effects in the region. "We have to save not just the salt mine there, but the entire community, with thousands of people in danger of not being able to put a loaf of bread on the table," Fechet said.
Why is the flooding in Romania concerning?
With a production capacity of around 70,000-100,000 metric tons of salt each year, per Reuters, the Praid salt mine is a cornerstone of the local economy. The huge numbers of tourists who visit the mine — nearly 500,000 in 2024, per AFP — also support area businesses.
However, according to County Prefect Petres Sandor, the damage goes well beyond its potential financial woes. "A very big danger is related to the state of mind of the population. Unfortunately, it's a feeling of the end of the world," Sandor told AFP.
Although Romania, like so many parts of the world, is no stranger to flooding, the destructive events of May 2025 are another reminder of the climate shocks affecting communities everywhere on a regular basis.
Climate researchers have pointed to increased moisture in the atmosphere, which may result in heavier rainfall and more extreme weather events. Rising global temperatures have also contributed to the rapid melting of glaciers and ice sheets as well as the expansion of warming oceans. This has contributed to rising sea levels, creating more concern for aggressive storm surges and flooding in coastal communities.
What's being done about the Praid salt mine?
As relayed by Reuters on June 3, Romanian officials approved the rerouting of a stream to help guard against further damage to the mine. Some sections of its floor had already given way. By attempting to reroute the stream, officials hoped to allow some of the excess water in the mine to properly drain.
While the floodwaters seemed poised to threaten the salt reserves, Sandor offered assurance that time is on their side. "It would take quite a while for the water to dissolve so much salt inside to pose a problem of stability, we are talking about months, years, not days, weeks, in any case," he explained during a press briefing.
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Never 👎 In addition to rerouting the stream, officials also approved a relief package reportedly worth more than $67 million USD and geared toward helping the mine as well as nearly 200 area businesses impacted.
Before the rerouting, AFP noted that protests demonstrated "anger over preventive measures not having been taken in the past." With communities around the world working to research, plan, and implement infrastructure to improve resilience against climate shocks like fierce and costly floods, it's not unlikely that local calls for such projects could increase following these recent events.
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