By DASHNOR KALOÇI
Part Three
Memorie.al / The extremely difficult situation that the country is going through these days as a result of bad weather are not “unheard music” for Albania. Floods, rivers bursting their banks, and significant damage to agricultural land, residential homes, private businesses, the economy, and infrastructure seem to have followed the same “refrain” for decades. History is repeating itself, even down to the details: exactly 41 years ago, on January 7, 1985, similar polar weather “brought the country to its knees,” from south to north. At that time, the damage was tragic- not only in residential homes, entire villages underwater, agricultural land, and livestock, with the electrical and telephone networks destroyed, but also with dozens of lives lost to avalanches and frost. So alarming was the situation that Enver Hoxha, although in serious health condition, is said to have personally monitored the situation daily and urgently sent several ministers and nearly half of the members of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee to the hardest-hit areas, such as; Rita Marko, Besnik Bekteshi, Hekuran Isai, Prokop Murra, Pali Miska, Muho Asllani, Simon Stefani, etc. Archival documents testify to an extraordinary mobilization, where the Ministry of Internal Affairs and its Branches in the districts reported two to three operational communiqués per day on the situation across all districts of the country.
While nature follows its centuries-old ritual, time for our governance seems to have stood still. Archival documents labeled “Secret” (extracted from the Archives of the Ministry of Internal Affairs) testify that the neuralgic points of 1985 are the same ones suffering today: The North and the East: The blocking of the Vermosh road and the districts of Mirditë, Pukë, Kukës, Has, Tropojë, and Peshkopi. The Lezha and Kurbin area: Tale, Gjorm, Adriatik, the embankment of the Drojë River, and the Thumana field. Central and Southern Albania: The Murrash turn, the Gjinar highlands, and the areas along the Devoll, Shkumbin, Osum, Vjosa, and Seman rivers and their pumping stations. From the southeast to the southwest: From Korça and Erseka to the Drino River in Gjirokastër or Bashaj-Matogjin in Vlorë.
In this old and new map of floods, only one city was an exception in January 1985. According to the communiqués of the Ministry of Interior: “Durrës has no problems!” The above, etc., is made known through this cycle of writings with archival documents, facsimiles, and relevant photos that Memorie.al publishes for the first time, shedding light on one of the harshest winters of the last century and the shocking similarity with the challenges that haunt us even today.
Continued from the previous issue
SECRET REPORT-INFORMATION FROM THE MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS ON THE SEVERE WEATHER WITH HEAVY RAIN AND SNOWFALL THAT COVERED ALL OF ALBANIA ON JANUARY 7–15, 1985, AND THE DAMAGE CAUSED IN VARIOUS DISTRICTS BY FLOODS, BLOCKING OF NATIONAL ROADS, SNOW AVALANCHES, ETC.
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Single Copy
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, January 12, 1985
OPERATIONAL COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 7
INFORMATION
Time: 12:30
PESHKOPIA
Urgent notification via radio that, according to news from Lura, provided by the chairman of the “Krej-Lurë” agricultural cooperative, an avalanche occurred on January 10, 1985, at 16:00. Kastriot Gjin Rajta, a high school student, lost his life, and 7 others were injured while working in the village stable.
The victims were located on January 11, 1985, by villagers conducting the search. One stable was destroyed, resulting in the death of 120 sheep, 5 horses, and 15 oxen. Measures have been taken to provide medical assistance to the injured and to evacuate the population from specific houses in that village which are at risk of further avalanches. The telephone line to this village is completely out of service.
MIRDITA
Urgent notification that roads to Fan, Kurbnesh, Kaçinar, Malaj, and Reps are blocked. Telephone lines outside the district are not functioning, while inside the district, the line to Spaç remains operational. In Klos of Fan, the offices of the United Council, the Civil Registry, and the Bank branch have collapsed. In the village of Zall-Xhuxhë, gunshots were heard, but it is unknown what has occurred.
PUKA
On January 12, 1985, in the place known as Livadh-Kabash, the state reserve warehouse containing wheat collapsed. There is no possibility of reaching the site to provide assistance. Three other buildings are also at risk of collapsing.
On January 12, 1985, the Iballa telephone exchange reported that the individual named Çun Mëhilli (born 1962), from the village of Shopel in Berisha, was found dead from a snow avalanche. He had been missing since January 9, 1985, when he set out for the village stable to feed the livestock.
On January 12, 1985, the individual named Lin Frrok Mema, aged 33, from Kabash, Puka, was found dead (frozen in the snow). On the evening of January 11, 1985, while heading to the cooperative center to get bread, he became trapped in the snow.
PERMANENT READINESS HEADQUARTERS
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Single Copy
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, January 14, 1985
OPERATIONAL COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 10
INFORMATION
TROPOJA
The weather situation remains the same, with a significant drop in temperature; this morning it reached -20°C, which has created difficulties during duty, as soldiers have developed blisters on their hands and feet due to the cold. All communication roads are blocked, except for those within the city, the Rragam mine, and up to Tropoja, which are passable only with great difficulty.
On January 10, 1985, while descending a herd of goats from Gjonpapa to Lekbibaj, an avalanche occurred, taking 20 head of livestock which have not been found. There were no human casualties. Communication is operational with all zones, except for the border post at Lumi i Gashit.
KUKËSI
The weather remains extremely cold, with temperatures at -22°C. Roads are generally blocked, with the exception of Bicaj, Gjegjan, and Kalimash. Of the persons caught by the avalanche in the village of Vila, 7 have been found and 5 others are being sought.
PESHKOPIA
The weather is very cold; the road communicating with Burrel is blocked at Qafë e Buallit. The roads to Bulqiza and Murraj are operational. Communication within the district is generally working, except for the Gjinovec post.
BURRELI
Roads are blocked toward Peshkopia, as well as toward Krasta and Batra. The weather is extremely cold, and in Batra, there has been a very strong “murrlan” (northern gale).
PUKA
The weather is very cold; communication roads are blocked. Work is underway to open the road toward Shkodra and to link up with the group sent from that direction, which has reached Gomsiqe.
SHKODRA
Communication roads are open, with the exception of Cukali (which goes as far as Vila) and Vermosh (which goes as far as Tamara). Several villages like Shllaku, which had been left without supplies, were supplied by helicopter. The areas of Vermosh and Dukagjin remain blocked and without communication.
MIRDITA
Several areas, such as Fan, Spaç, and Kurbnesh, remain blocked, and the roads have not been cleared. There is a power outage in Kurbnesh and Fan. There has been no rain or snowfall; water levels have receded and do not pose a concern.
Ultimately, as of this morning, communication roads with the districts of Puka, Kukës, Tropojë, and Peshkopi are blocked. Telephone lines are operational, except for Tropojë, which communicates via Shkodra.
OFFICER ON PERMANENT DUTY
PEOPLE’S SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF ALBANIA SECRET
MINISTRY OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS Single Copy
GENERAL BRANCH Tirana, January 15, 1985
OPERATIONAL COMMUNIQUÉ NO. 12
INFORMATION
TROPOJA
There has been no precipitation. The temperature was -20°C. Roads remain blocked. There has been dense fog. Telephone communication is regular, with the exception of Lumi i Gashit. There are no other issues.
PUKA
On January 14, 1985, Rrok Pal Ndou, 43 years old, a resident of the village of Berishë e Epërme, passed away after having been previously injured by a snow avalanche. During the afternoon and night, there was snowfall in Iballë and on Mount Krab. The temperature is reaching as low as -20°C. Motor roads continue to be occupied [blocked].
Work is ongoing to open the road toward Shkodra; progress has reached the village of Luf, while from the Shkodra side, it has reached Gomsiqe. Today, a vehicle arrived from Fushë-Arrëz to Puka. Communication is in order, except for several villages in deep remote zones.
KUKËSI
There has been no snowfall. There was a slight rise in temperature. Roads remain blocked. During the night, telephone communication was interrupted with Morina and Pogaj. Measures have been taken for their repair. From the persons caught by the avalanche in the village of Vila, a total of 12 deceased individuals have been found.
Three other persons are still being sought. On January 14, 1985, Dervish Mehmet Meta, 57 years old, a resident of the village of Pistë, was found dead near his home; his death was caused by a snow avalanche.
DIBRA
There has been no snowfall. Strong winds have been blowing. Roads remain occupied [blocked]. Work is being done to open the road from Fushë-Bulqiza to Qafë-Buall, where, in addition to snow accumulated by the wind, there have been landslides. Communication has been working properly, with the exception of Gjinovci and Radomira, where communication is conducted via radio.
BURRELI
There has been no snowfall. Work is underway to open the road toward Peshkopia; 5 km have been cleared from Qafa e Buallit in the direction of Burrel. During the night, the road from Krasta to Batra became blocked.
SHKODRA
The road toward Puka remains blocked. Work continues to clear it. Last night, a convoy of military vehicles set out from Mjeda to Gomsiqe to deliver aid to the Puka district.
There have been difficulties supplying bread to the Shllaku area and the village of Zogaj. Bread was dropped by helicopter in Shllaku, while in Zogaj, at 21:00 on January 14, 1985, vehicles equipped with chains managed to pass through. Telephone communication is in order.
MIRDITA
There has been no snowfall. The roads to Kurbnesh and Spaç, as well as the national road to Puka, are blocked. For the first two, work is ongoing to open them. The Rrëshen-Perlat i Epërm road is open. On the Perlat i Epërm-Kurbnesh segment, vehicles are working to supply the population. The mine shaft in Kurbnesh is flooded with water.
Two pumps were dispatched for water removal. The Rrëshen-Shpal road is open, and work continues to clear the way to Reps. A portion of the outer perimeter of the Spaç Camp will be repaired tomorrow. The forces [labor force/inmates] at Spaç are working at 30% capacity. There are no other issues.
KORÇA
The telephone connection between Korçë and Kolonjë is down. Work is underway to repair it. In both of these districts, there was light snowfall last night. / Memorie.al
OFFICER ON PERMANENT DUTY
To be continued in the next issue
