She also added that all residents in affected zones have been safely evacuated.

“Around 20 houses were affected, but no residents were harmed. The full evacuation of all inhabitants has been completed,” Balluku said, noting that some water remains due to the area’s proximity to the river source.

Balluku praised the Armed Forces for their role, saying “they have been extraordinary during these challenging days.”

No rainfall is expected in the coming two to three days, allowing recovery work to begin. Balluku said controlled water releases from the Devoll cascade have been reduced to a minimum to ease pressure on the river.

A full damage assessment will be conducted, she said, with compensation planned for affected homes, greenhouses, and farmland in coordination with municipalities and Civil Emergency teams.

On the Seman embankment, Balluku said the damage is partial.

“Repairs will begin immediately once water levels drop, followed by deeper reinforcement of affected segments,” she said.

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Agricultural land has been flooded in several administrative units in the northwestern municipality of Lezhë. In Zejmen area, water has inundated farmland in the villages of Spiten and Tresh, authorities said.

The situation had worsened due to heavy rainfall and water discharges from the Vau i Dejës hydropower plant.

Interior Minister said that all emergency structures were on full alert and operating in close coordination, adding that areas surrounding the Drin and Mat rivers were being continuously monitored.

Koçiu warned that rainfall was expected to intensify in the coming hours and urged residents to follow official updates and cooperate with authorities if assistance was required.

The Minister was accompanied by Lezhë Mayor Pjerin Ndreu, county prefect Taulant Malshi and local emergency officials during her visit to Zejmen.

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IGEO said intense rainfall would significantly increase the risk of flooding, particularly in the country’s northern and southern regions.

Rapid rises in small mountainous rivers and landslides are forecast in the districts of Shkodër, Kukës, Dibër, Lezhë, Durrës, Elbasan, Vlorë and Gjirokastër. Localized urban flooding is also possible, depending on the condition of drainage systems.

According to IGEO’s hydrological models, the heavy rainfall recorded in recent days, which is expected to continue until Thursday, Jan. 8, could lead to dangerous increases in water flow and levels in the Drin-Buna, Mat, Shkumbin and Vjosë rivers, as well as Lake Shkodër.

The Drin and Buna rivers and Lake Shkodër pose an elevated flood risk on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Institute said.

Meteorological forecasts indicate heavy to locally very heavy rainfall in the southern districts of Vlorë and Gjirokastër, while rainfall will be heavy in Shkodër and Lezhë. Elsewhere, precipitation is expected to be moderate to locally heavy, accompanied by thunderstorms.

In northern, eastern and southeastern areas at elevations above 1,000 metres, precipitation is expected to fall as snow.

On Wednesday, air temperatures are forecast to range from 9 to 16 degrees Celsius in coastal and lowland areas, and from 3 to 12 degrees Celsius in mountainous regions.

Authorities urged citizens to exercise increased caution and follow official advisories, while local emergency structures remain on alert to respond to weather-related risks.

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“Preliminary estimates show around 1,500 hectares flooded: 500 hectares in Lezhë and Kurbin, and several hectares in Devoll and Maliq, where water levels have begun to recede,” Vengu said. He added that the Vjosa and Seman rivers remain swollen within their embankments, posing risks to nearby villages, while roughly 500 hectares in Saranda are still under water.

Vengu said a complete assessment of agricultural damage is under way. “All forces are on the ground — engineering units, the Armed Forces, municipal teams and private drainage operators, whom I thank for their rapid intervention,” he said. Work is ongoing to rehabilitate the Bistrica e Madhe river, with authorities aiming to seal all breaches within two days.

The minister noted that the Agriculture Ministry is coordinating assistance for farmers and livestock owners, while state reserves are supplying concentrated animal feed and food packages to affected households. Local authorities, he added, are working to restore water supply, sewage systems and normal life in villages.

Around 200 families nationwide have been evacuated due to flooding, Vengu said. “Of these, 150 have returned home, while the rest remain sheltered in dormitories.”

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AKMC said many roads blocked overnight had reopened as emergency crews, the Armed Forces, the power utility OSHEE and local authorities worked to restore electricity, clear debris and secure embankments. No major infrastructure damage was reported.

In the southern region of Vlora, the Vjosa River at Novosela continued to recede, measuring 7.65 metres on Friday. Crews cleared debris in Delvina, Finiq and Konispol, while one family was evacuated in Vrion due to rising water. Pumping stations in Vlora were operating at full capacity.

In Fier, levels in the Vjosa and Seman rivers continued to drop, though around 110 hectares of farmland remained under water. Local authorities said embankments were stable and no evacuations were needed.

The Korça region saw some of the heaviest impacts, with water entering homes in several villages and 15 families evacuated from Sovjan. High inflows were reported in Pogradec, and four pumps were working to stabilise the Tushemisht drainage station. In Kolonja, teams repaired damaged bridges and later recovered the body of a 76-year-old woman swept away earlier in the week.

Lezha, one of the worst-hit areas, reported roughly 220 hectares flooded after an embankment failure in Tale. Pumping stations were operating normally except in Tale, while boats helped evacuate residents requesting assistance. Repairs on the Vain Lagoon embankment were completed in a first phase, authorities said.

Crews in Kurbin, Mirdita, Dibra and Shkodra continued clearing landslides and reinforcing riverbeds, while in Berat floodwaters receded as levels in the Osum and Devoll rivers fell sharply. In Gjirokastër, police closed a bridge that had subsided after heavy rain and prepared an alternative route for traffic.

In Elbasan, authorities cleared landslides on several local and national roads. In the Tirana region, teams monitored the Shkumbin River in Rrogozhinë after it briefly overflowed on Friday.

The Defence Ministry and Civil Protection Agency said teams remained deployed nationwide and urged residents in affected areas to cooperate with evacuation orders if needed.

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Minister of Tourism and Culture Blendi Gonxhja said that after successive years of flooding, the Lead Mosque in Shkodra has remained intact by the heavy rainfall of the last 24 hours. Gonxhja said that, “Thanks to the restoration and conservation works, as well as the construction of the dam, the precious cultural monument has not suffered any damage”.

According to the minister, the pumps operate at full capacity, guaranteeing the protection of the object.

The Lead Mosque, a first category cultural monument, was built by Mehmet Pasha Bushati and is considered the largest and oldest mosque in Albania.

The restoration project, carried out with the support of the Turkish government, has fully restored the historical and architectural values ​​of the mosque, transforming it into an important center for local and foreign believers as well as the visitors.

The Lead Mosque in Shkodra, built in 1773-1774, is the largest Ottoman mosque in all of Albania, a First Category Cultural Monument.

The revitalization of this unique mosque in Shkodra included not only its restoration, but also transformation of the surrounding space.

After the restoration, the Mosque, built by the well-known architect Sinani, has become another tourist attraction for the city. /j.p/p.s./

There has been flooding even in the “Albano and Romina” street, while the historical Muradie neighborhood is under the power of rain water.

According to media reports, the water level on the street has risen significantly, preventing the normal movement of vehicles and pedestrians.

The most affected areas include: the “Skela” neighborhood (near the main intersection), the area near the public library, around the Orthodox Church and the “Albano & Romina” square.

In some road segments, the vehicles were blocked due to high water flows.

Meanwhile, the emergency services have begun work to clean the manholes and restore normal traffic. /e.i//r.e/p.s./

Pampuri said that the storm and flooding showed again the government’s incompetence to deal with the emergencies due to the natural disasters.

“The institutional and legal mechanisms, starting with the National Civil Protection Agency, failed once again to prevent the damages,” the opposition lawmaker said in a press statement.

According to her, all the relevant institutions, starting with the National Civil Protection Agency, were fully aware about the consequences of the powerful storm that has hit neighbouring Italy too.

“No prevention measures were taken over this week, showing the government’s incompetence and irresponsibility, and incompetence and irresponsibility of the Socialist local authorities. Collapsed bridges, flooded and destroyed roads in Tirana, Durres and other cities across the country,” she said.

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Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development Anila Denaj closely inspected the works worth 16 million ALL, financed by the Albanian government.

Accompanied by Mayor of Korça Sotiraq Filo and experts on the ground, Denaj got acquainted with the works for the protective infrastructure that were carried out in accordance with technical protocols.

The minister said that, “Thanks to this investment it is eliminated the risk of flooding from river flows for 12 hectares of agricultural land and the road connecting the plots”.

On the threshold of the winter season, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has intervened in a series of irrigation and drainage infrastructure works or in river embankments in some areas of the country with the aim of their rehabilitation and maintenance so that to prevent flooding of agricultural lands from rainfall./r.e/p.s./

According to a press release, in Shkodra Municipality, the water level has fallen and flood waters receded the affected area. While there is still flooded area at around 1130 hectares in Shkodra

“There are no flooded houses. There are still seven households to be evacuated from a total of 52. The 24 members of the households are accommodated in the dormitory. The Drini and Buna rivers are within the critical level and do not present any risk”, according to the announcement.

There are still four homes flooded in Lezha district, while the flooded area is estimated at around 2350 hectares in Lezha district.

“The hidropower plants are working at full capacity and without interruption. Specifically, in Droje, Shllinza, Tale, Ishull Shëngjin, Grykë Zeze, Gocaj,” the announcement states.//a.i/