Flood in Romania leaves many families homeless

Hundreds of houses were flooded in 17 Romanian counties, leaving many families homeless Wednesday, after rain lashed southern and eastern parts of the country for a second day.

The worst affected region is the southern county of Dambovita, where 31 villages were flooded, and 368 farms and 895 hectares (2,212 acres) of crops submerged, the Interior Minister said.

The Romanian capital, Bucharest, was badly hit by rain, with several roads and 21 public buildings flooded. Some 165 schools were affected by the floods, the AP reports.

This is the sixth wave of flooding to hit Romania this year, and the first time the capital has been inundated.

The Black Sea ports of Constanta and Midia Navodari were closed Wednesday, after powerful storms hit the coast, causing strong winds and 7-meter (23-foot) high waves, said Monica Paraschiv, spokeswoman for Romanian Naval Authority.

A storm warning was sent out to all commercial and military in the region. Early Wednesday a small vessel hit an anchored ship with a cargo of more than 5,000 tons of wheat, causing a split in the hull.

Rain will continue for the next few days, forecasters say.