Berlin
Poland and the Czech Republic are bracing for the consequences of a once-in-a-century flood, and the situation in Lower Austria is also critical after heavy rains. People have died in several EU countries due to the floods. One firefighter died in Austria, a man died in Poland, and six people died in Romania.
Water levels are also rising in eastern Germany, but so far the situation has been less dramatic. On Monday the Elbe is expected to reach the guideline level of alert level 3 (6.00 metres) in Dresden. The city announced alert level 2 after the water level rose to 5.01 metres on Sunday evening (6 p.m.). For comparison: The normal level of the Elbe on the Dresden gauge is around 2 metres. The highest level during the flood of the century in 2002 was 9.40 metres.
Exceptional circumstances in Lower Austria
In the Austrian state of Lower Austria, torrential rains have swept through streets and towns overnight. Thousands of rescue workers are working tirelessly as the rain continues to fall, evacuating people to safety and building sandbag dams to protect homes and basements.
Rain eased in some areas overnight, but the Met Office predicted further heavy rain on Monday. Prime Minister Johanna Mikl-Leitner spoke of “exceptional circumstances, the likes of which we have never experienced before” on Sunday.
The federal state around Vienna has been hit by the worst floods ever and has been declared a full disaster area. In the Ottenstein reservoir, water is released in a controlled manner through flood flaps. This is intended to prevent flash floods, but initially it worsens the already dramatic flood situation downstream on the already swollen Kamp River. Residents and thousands of volunteers tried to protect their homes with sandbag walls.
In the capital Vienna, the Vienna River has turned from a trickle to a torrential torrent. The flood there is so high that statistically it is expected to occur only once every 100 years. Vienna Mayor Michael Ludwig said Monday’s fresh rains were likely to push the river’s water levels even higher, as the river has many tributaries that flow into it from other flood zones.
Czech government wants financial support decision
The situation was particularly dramatic in the Czech town of Krnov, which was almost completely submerged on Sunday. According to the CTK agency, Deputy Mayor Miroslav Vinar said the situation was worse than the 1997 flood disaster. The Opava and Opavice rivers meet in the small town of 23,000 people, about 240 km east of Prague. Helicopters were used to rescue people from the air. The situation was also dire in several other eastern regions, including Opava and Ostrava.
The Prague government wants to meet on Monday to decide on emergency aid for the victims. Czech President Petr Pavel has called for donations for flood victims. He noted that the hardest-hit areas, such as Jesenik in the Jeseníky Mountains and Frydlant in northern Bohemia, are among the poorest in the country.
High water levels in Poland
The situation in the small Polish town of Klodzko worsened on Sunday after a dam collapsed in the Snow Mountains on the Polish-Czech border. Mayor Michal Piszko told the PAP news agency that a new tidal wave had reached the town. The water level in the Glatzer Neisse, a tributary of the Oder, is currently 6.84 metres near Klodzko. A fire brigade spokesman told the German news agency that the average water level is around one metre.
According to the police, a man was killed in the village of Krosnovice, not far from Klodzko. The rescue team could not initially rescue him because the place was flooded. In Stronie Slaskie in Lower Silesia, a dam burst. Now the water flows from there across the Biala Ladecka River to Glatzer Neisse.
More rain in Bavaria
The flood situation in Bavaria remains tense. However, the Bavarian Flood Information Office (HND) predicted on Sunday that the situation will not get any worse than it is now. Rain will continue until Tuesday, especially in the southern and southeastern Free State.
Global warming is causing more frequent extreme weather events in many areas, including floods.
notification: This report is part of an automated service of the German Press Agency (dpa), which operates under strict journalistic regulations. The AZ Online editorial team does not edit or check it. Please send questions or comments to Feedback@az-muenchen.de.
