The force of the flood

The force of the flood

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Last month, the skies dumped several months worth of rain on the Balkans in just a few days. The consequences were devastating, killing some 65 people across Bosnia and Serbia and causing billions of dollars of damage.

Now, those affected by the flooding and landslides are left to survey the devastation – the mud, the ruined furniture and the tree branches thrust through windows and walls.

. Obrenovac, Serbia. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

At least 40 people died in Obrenovac, pictured above, a town of at least 30,000 southwest of Belgrade.

Those who fled or were evacuated from floods around the region are returning to what for many looks like a war zone – sofas and chairs tossed and broken, walls and floors muddied, entire homes devastated.

The cost of recovery is set to be enormous. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development estimates the damage in Serbia at up to 2 billion euros ($2.73 billion), or seven percent of national output, and 1.3 billion euros in Bosnia, or 10 percent of output.

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Slideshow

A slipper lies in the mud after flooding hit Topcic Polje in central Bosnia.
. TOPCIC POLJE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

A slipper lies in the mud after flooding hit Topcic Polje in central Bosnia.

Flowers stand on the windowsill of a house surrounded by debris.
. TOPCIC POLJE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Flowers stand on the windowsill of a house surrounded by debris.

Serbian cyrillic letters float in the water inside a flooded funeral services business.
. Obrenovac, Serbia. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Serbian cyrillic letters float in the water inside a flooded funeral services business.

Earth pours through a bathroom window in Krupanj, west of the Serbian capital.
. Krupanj, Serbia. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Earth pours through a bathroom window in Krupanj, west of the Serbian capital.

Switches are left splattered with dirt in a house belonging to the Kovacevic family.
. TOPCIC POLJE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Switches are left splattered with dirt in a house belonging to the Kovacevic family.

A kitchen stands filled with mud.
. TOPCIC POLJE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

A kitchen stands filled with mud.

Dirt coats the bathroom curtain of the Kovacevic family home.
. TOPCIC POLJE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Dirt coats the bathroom curtain of the Kovacevic family home.

Mud floods a school classroom.
. TOPCIC POLJE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Mud floods a school classroom.

Tree branches protrude through the window of a living room in Krupanj.
. Krupanj, Serbia. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Tree branches protrude through the window of a living room in Krupanj.

Kitchen units stand submerged in mud.
. Krupanj, Serbia. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Kitchen units stand submerged in mud.

Coffins hang on the wall of a flooded funeral services showroom in Obrenovac.
. Obrenovac, Serbia. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Coffins hang on the wall of a flooded funeral services showroom in Obrenovac.

Islamic calligraphy hangs on a wall in Topcic Polje.
. TOPCIC POLJE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Islamic calligraphy hangs on a wall in Topcic Polje.

Mud covers the entrance of the bedroom and kitchen in the Kovacevic's family home.
. TOPCIC POLJE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

Mud covers the entrance of the bedroom and kitchen in the Kovacevic's family home.

Part of a vacuum cleaner is seen covered in mud inside a flooded house.
. Obrenovac, Serbia. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

Part of a vacuum cleaner is seen covered in mud inside a flooded house.

A picture of actor Brad Pitt is seen inside a flooded hairdressing salon.
. Obrenovac, Serbia. REUTERS/Marko Djurica

A picture of actor Brad Pitt is seen inside a flooded hairdressing salon.

A dirty plush heart lies in the Kovacevic's family home.
. TOPCIC POLJE, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic

A dirty plush heart lies in the Kovacevic's family home.