Shtip’s July 21 storm recalls deadly lightning strike of August 25, 1995

The Municipality of Shtip is awaiting final findings and damage assessments after a severe storm on 21 July this year that tore off entire roofing structures in parts of the town.

Many longtime residents said the storm brought back memories of an earlier, deadly weather event: on 25 August 1995 a lightning strike and the accompanying tempest killed four people in the Shtip area, among them a three‑member family.

Old reports and interrupted broadcasts

Residents who remember the 1995 disaster recall that Radio Shtip suffered transmitter failures because of electrical discharges and could not broadcast on all frequencies at the time. The newspaper Shtipsko Ogledalo, published by Radio Shtip, devoted an entire issue to the storm.

Describing the scene in its edition from 1995, the paper wrote: "A beautiful, sunny day on August 25, 1995 — but only until 4 p.m. Suddenly, the sky over Shtip darkened. From one second to the next an increasingly strong wind began to blow. Rain poured down, and immediately after came a barrage of powerful thunderclaps. The whole atmosphere thundered. Entire roofing structures began to fly off residential buildings and other objects. The flat roof structure of the hospitality venue 'Dujle' turned into a pitched roof, broken and bent in half," the newspaper Shtipsko Ogledalo wrote.

Local authorities have so far reported preliminary damage linked to the July storm; the municipality says it will publish the full assessment when the expert reports are completed. Residents and business owners continue to clear debris and secure damaged roofs as experts evaluate structural safety.

The parallel between the two storms — the recent one on 21 July and the catastrophic event of 25 August 1995 — has revived memories in Shtip about the destructive power of sudden wind, rain and lightning and the importance of timely warnings and readiness.

Photo: press material from the event