The water level in the Elbe River in Saxony is slowly falling. Meanwhile, in neighboring countries, clean-up work is underway in flood-stricken areas. This also requires funding from the EU.
According to the State Flood Center, the Elbe’s flood peak has reached the Saxon part of the river. At the first gauge in Schöna on the Czech border, the value was about 6.50 meters in the afternoon and is slowly decreasing. The normal height is 1.58 meters. In Dresden, the water level is also dropping by centimeters. Hydrologists expect the water level to fall below 6 meters after midnight, i.e. below the second highest warning level. In the afternoon, it was 6.07 meters, while the normal value in Dresden is 1.42 meters.
The floods in this country are not yet over. In Brandenburg, more severe flooding is expected on the Oder River from next week until the middle of this week. The city of Frankfurt (Oder) has built a protective wall on the coast. Sandbags are also available. A guard service is organized on the embankments, which will remove the protective system if the situation worsens.
In Bayern, all approvals were already given on Wednesday.
Von der Leyen pledges support from EU funds
In much of central and southeastern Europe, a massive clean-up operation is underway. Debris and mud are being pushed out of streets and removed from homes. Others are saving what they can. The military is also deployed. The extent of the damage is still unclear.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen also pledged EU funds to storm-hit areas during a visit to Wrocław, which was hit hard by the floods. “At first glance, €10 billion from the cohesion fund could be mobilized for the affected countries. This is now an emergency response,” von der Leyen said. It is heartbreaking to see the devastation and destruction.
Tusk thanks von der Leyen for his quick assistance.
In Poland, she met Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico and Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, among others.
Tusk thanked von der Leyen for her quick and unbureaucratic help. “It took exactly 45 minutes to get our expectations met and a satisfactory explanation from the European Commission.” Now each head of government is responsible for planning the reconstruction of their own country after the floods.
Plunder in Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, the Elbe River reached a peak level of just over 6.80 meters in Aussig, not far from the Saxon border. About 2 meters is normal. The protective wall withstood the massive amount of water. Firefighters, soldiers and prisoners helped clean up the eastern disaster area.
According to Czech President Petr Pavel, it could take years to repair the damage. A major state highway was flooded and closed to rescue workers. Police said there were further cases of looting.
There is no all clear in Poland
In Poland, floods reached the Lower Silesian city of Wroclaw overnight. Mayor Jacek Sutryk told TVN24 that the water level was 6.38 meters. The water level of 6.30-6.40 meters will last longer. A little over 3 meters is normal. The current surge is significantly lower than the 1997 Oder floods, when the water level reached 7.24 meters.
Prime Minister Tusk warned in a meeting of the crisis management team not to underestimate the situation. “It is too early to declare victory over the floods near Wroclaw.” We must continue to monitor the situation. According to forecasts, the floods near Wroclaw could last until Monday, with hopes that the embankments will hold.
Germany has offered Poland to help deploy troops to flood-hit areas, but details have not yet been agreed, the Defense Ministry said.
Austria, repairs expected to take years
In Austria, it will probably take a very long time to recover from the floods. The prime minister of the particularly hard-hit Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, now assumes that rebuilding the devastated areas will take “not days, weeks or months, but years.”
The situation is now easing and water levels are falling everywhere. Around 300 buildings in Lower Austria, which were particularly affected, are still inaccessible. A few days ago, the number was 1,400.
Relaxation in Slovakia
In Slovakia, while flooding is easing in the western part of the country around the capital Bratislava, the Danube is still rising southeast. The highest tide is expected on Friday in Komárno, on the Hungarian border, where tributaries from northern Slovakia are also strengthening the Danube.
In Bratislava city centre, the Danube reached its highest level of 9.80 metres on Wednesday evening and has been falling steadily since then. On Thursday morning it was 9.30 metres. The normal water level is an average of 3 metres.
Schools in Bologna are closed
In Italy, heavy rain fell, especially in the northern Emilia-Romagna region. In several cities, such as Ravenna, Forlì and Castel Bolognese, rivers overflowed their banks, flooding the streets. Hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes and taken to reception centers.
Many schools were closed in the regional capital Bologna and other areas for security reasons. Authorities also urged people to stay home. In the lagoon city of Venice, the ‘Moses’ system, a steel barrier to protect against flooding, was put into operation for the first time since the summer holidays.
Patricia Verne, ARD Warsaw, tagesschau, 19 September 2024, 7:12 p.m.
