Floods and Storms: Deaths and Destruction in Central Europe

Since the weekend, several European countries have been suffering from severe flooding caused by the heaviest rainfall in years. At least seven people have been killed, thousands of homes have been damaged, and tens of thousands have been forced to flee the affected areas.

Poland has declared a state of emergency.

In Poland, the area around Glocholecy in the southwest of the country is particularly affected by flooding. Here, the bursting of a broken bridge and dam has led to catastrophic flooding. The Polish government has declared a state of emergency; thousands of people have had to flee.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk urged citizens to seek safety and prepared measures to limit the damage.

In one Posted on X “I have instructed the finance minister to allocate funds for emergency relief and flood repairs. The European affairs minister will request European assistance. We will not leave anyone alone. I have asked the defence minister to do so,” Tusk wrote. “Sending additional troops to the threatened areas.”

The situation in the town of Klodzko was described as “critical”, according to media reports. Many people there are without electricity and sometimes rely on air transport. Media reports said the dam in the town burst yesterday afternoon. The town's mayor, Michal Pesko, told the PAP news agency that a new tidal wave had reached the town.

Ukraine has offered assistance to Poland, Romania, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Moldova.

Poland's eastern neighbor has already offered its help. Ukraine's newly appointed Foreign Minister Andriy Sebiha wrote in a letter Posted on XHe offered assistance in the form of Ukrainian emergency units to neighboring countries on the instructions of President Volodymyr Zelensky and in coordination with Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal.

State of emergency in the Czech Republic

Heavy rains associated with Storm Boris have also caused severe flooding in the Czech Republic. The current flooding is reportedly worse than the 1997 flooding.

The city of Opava, on the border with Poland, was particularly affected, where thousands of people were forced to flee. According to the authorities, many people are still missing. Czech rescue workers are constantly being used to deal with imminent dangers and protect the population.

Authorities have issued the highest flood warning in nearly 90 locations across the country and in two northeastern regions. The areas have recorded heavy rainfall in recent days, including in the Jeseniki mountains near the Polish border. Severe floodwaters also inundated the town of Jeseniki on Sunday, turning streets into rivers.

According to media reports, the Silesian Moravian city of Krnov is completely flooded. According to the CTK agency, Deputy Mayor Miroslav Pinar said that about 70 to 80 percent of the city area was flooded. For this reason, evacuation was no longer possible on Sunday. The city administration was no longer able to organize the necessary assistance.

75-year-old man dies in Lower Austria

The area around Kamp in Lower Austria is being severely affected by flooding. Several communities have been declared disaster areas, and Chancellor Karl Nehammer has already announced military support. Around 3,000 people in the affected area have been asked to evacuate.

A 75-year-old man who wanted to help his former fire department colleagues with clean-up work in Lower Austria was killed. According to the Kronen Zeitung newspaper, he fell while pumping out a flooded cellar, hit the concrete floor and died of his injuries.

There are also reports of infrastructure damage, such as the closure of metro stations in Vienna. The Austrian Ministry of Climate Protection has one. Posted on X He wrote that “due to the critical water level in the Vienna River in Vienna, only limited operation of the U4 and U6 lines is currently possible, with alternative services being established.”

Nehammer announced that the election campaign in Austria would be temporarily suspended due to the bad weather. He wrote: “All our energy and attention is devoted to disaster management and helping those affected by the storms!” X.

At least four killed in Romania

Five people were injured on Saturday in eastern Romania after heavy rains. Found deadAccording to authorities, hundreds of people have been stranded in flooded areas.

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Emergency services rushed to rescue people in the hard-hit eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui. The bodies of three elderly women and two men were found in the towns of Peccia, Dragosini, Kostaci Negri and Korod, the emergency services said.

Authorities later added that one of the victims had died two days earlier and had died “not from the effects of the weather” but from other causes.

According to media reports, around 5,000 homes were damaged in the worst-hit area of ​​the country. Hundreds of people had to be rescued from flooding across the country. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis stressed that Europe will once again feel the dire consequences of climate change.

Preparations in Germany

Authorities in Germany are also preparing for possible flooding events. In Dresden, demolition work has been carried out. Damaged Carola Bridge It was completed to prevent further damage from the rising water levels of the Elbe River.

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The Elbe River is expected to rise to four metres, double the normal level. Flood precautions have been taken in Bavaria and Brandenburg, where rivers could continue to swell due to the ongoing rain.