The heavy rains that flooded Dubrovnik yesterday could be considered a natural disaster warranting state assistance, the city's mayor has said.

Dubrovnik mayor Andro Vlahusic said that the first estimates of the damages are high enough to declare the event a natural disaster and ask for state assistance. Some 130 liters of rain fell per square meter of the city just in the three hours in the morning.

Almost all of the shops and houses located on the town's main street Stradun were flooded.
Water brought traffic in many areas of the town to a standstill, while strong winds suspended all ship line operations. Some parts also experienced temporary power shortages, the daily Jutarnji List writes.

Vlahusic said that it may take a couple of days to fully asses the flood damages.

He added that the town is not ready for such events with the inefficient drainage system it currently possesses.

«At the beginning, no system could help when it comes to 130 litres of water per square meter. Still, if normal pipes had been laid out instead of these designed for spring showers, the water would drain quicker and the damage would be smaller,» the mayor said.

He added that the town plans to invest 20 million kunas (2.7 million Euros) over the next three years for system improvements.