A 'bora' wind uprooted and damaged some 100 thousand trees in areas under the administration of the High Tatras National Park's state forestry company last week.
As a result of the wind, which blows in gusts, many roads and tourist paths were blocked by fallen trees. Similar winds, but of higher intensity wreaked havoc in the mountain range in November 2004, when up to 12,000 hectares of forests in the Tatras sustained considerable damage. Environment Minister Peter Žiga during his working visit to the High Tatras National Park on Saturday confirmed that damage caused by strong wind on Friday is comparable with calamity after 'bora' wind in 2004. "I call on all residents of the High Tatras and tourists to respect the regulations and to not enter the forest for their own safety in the next few days," said the minister. "This is an extraordinary situation in our largest national park, so after a damage calculation is completed, I'm ready to release all the available resources from the Environmental Fund necessary to restore the damaged Tatra habitats and hiking trails," assured Žiga.
