Storm: Austria expects floods of the century

Heavy rains have caused a state of emergency in several parts of Austria. Poland and the Czech Republic are also battling floods and are evacuating their first towns. The situation in Germany is still relatively mild.

In Austria, the Operations Center has declared more than a dozen communities as disaster areas due to heavy rains. In Waldviertel, about 120 km northwest of Vienna, flooding is expected, which occurs on average every 100 years in the long term.

“The coming days will be a time of truth for flood prevention and a massive test for our emergency services and for many of our compatriots,” warned Lower Austrian President Johanna Mickle-Leitner, who expects “a challenge of historic proportions” especially in the Waldviertel.

Critical situation at the Ottenstein reservoir

The first evacuations took place in some communities on Friday evening. In Lower Austria alone, firefighters carried out 160 missions overnight due to storm damage.

There are concerns that the Ottenstein reservoir could overflow. A spokesperson for energy supplier EVN said water had been drained from there since Monday to create more space. The overflow would trigger flooding in the Danube tributary Kamp. Downstream, 100-year flood values ​​could be exceeded.

Railway and automobile clubs advise against travel.

The heaviest rainfall is expected in Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland, Upper Austria, most of Salzburg, Upper Styria and the Tyrol lowlands. On Thursday, Austrian Railways warned of “disruptions and delays in train traffic” and asked passengers to “postpone non-urgent travel to another time” until Sunday.

Several roads were blocked by fallen trees or broken vehicles. Other routes, such as the Großglockner High Alpine Road, were closed for safety reasons. Snow chains were mandatory in some areas.

Poland: Highest alert level in several regions

Since Friday morning, more rain has fallen in southwestern Poland than during the 1997 ‘millennium flood’. In Jarnoltowek, in the Opole region, 161.5 millimeters of rain fell in 24 hours, according to the Meteorological Institute (IMGW). That’s 30 millimeters more than the previous record. Warning levels were exceeded at 47 water-level measuring stations across the country. The mayor of Jarnoltowek ordered residents whose homes were below the reservoir to evacuate, threatening to overflow.

The Silesian city of Opole is bracing itself for a surge in the Oder. The city authorities said the water level on Sunday morning was expected to be around 5 metres. By Monday, it could rise to 6 metres. There is currently no danger to the population from flooding.

Poland’s second-largest city, Krakow, is also suffering from flooding due to heavy rain. Public transport in the metropolis of about 800,000 people was temporarily suspended as several underpasses in the city center filled with water. In the afternoon, the city government reported that the problem had been resolved.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk wanted to attend a crisis team meeting in Nysa in the evening. “We have a big night ahead of us. We need a full mobilization,” Tusk wrote.

Multiple deaths in Romania

Heavy rains have also caused flooding in eastern Romania. At least four people have died in Galati and Vaslui counties, disaster relief officials said. About 5,000 homes have also been damaged in the worst-hit areas.

Dozens of people had to be rescued by boat or plane from their flooded homes in the area. Earlier, the storm snapped trees and made roads impassable.

Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu canceled plans to travel to Galati on Saturday to assess the situation. Environment Minister Mircea Fechet told The Associated Press that some areas had received more than 160 litres of rain per cubic meter. “Right now we are trying to save as many lives as possible,” Fechet said before leaving for Galati.

Czech Republic: Houses and streets flooded.

The situation is also dire in the Czech Republic. Authorities in the eastern Moravian-Silesian region estimate that hundreds, if not thousands, of people will have to be evacuated from their homes to safety. A state of emergency has been declared there and in the area around Olomouc.

Small streams turned into torrential torrents. In some places, people had to be evacuated to safety by boat. Images show streets submerged in water with cars floating in the water.

Tens of thousands without electricity

The flooding also forced the evacuation of the clinic. More than 180 patients at the Brno hospital will have to be gradually transferred to other facilities, the hospital management announced.

Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic, more than 60,000 households were without electricity, the CTK agency reported, citing energy suppliers. The northwestern region, on the border with Saxony, was the hardest hit. There alone, more than 20,000 households were temporarily without electricity. The reason was that the water-soaked soil and strong winds caused trees to fall on power lines.

According to meteorologists, river levels in the Czech Republic are expected to continue to rise over the weekend. In some areas, 50 to 110 litres of rain per square metre have already fallen since Friday.

The edges of the German Alps are particularly affected.

In Germany, especially the southern and eastern federal states are bracing for floods. Minor flooding has already occurred in southeastern Bavaria. In Upper Bavaria, individual rivers have overflowed their banks, a police spokesman reported. Small stream banks in the Bavarian Forest have also flooded. However, experts warn that rainfall on rivers can sometimes only become noticeable hours or days later.

In Passau, where the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers meet, the first closure of the old town is expected in the evening, the city announced. “Strong warning to avoid entering flooded areas” signs are posted.

The German Meteorological Office (DWD) has forecast that “the rain will continue on the edge of the Alps until Sunday morning”, sometimes accompanied by storms. Typically, this can lead to amounts between 40 and 60 litres per square metre, with levels reaching around 100 litres per square metre east of Chiemgau.

Flood and landslide hazard warning

In the 24 hours since Friday, some parts of Saxony have seen between 30 and 50 litres of water per square metre. In the Ore Mountains and Upper Lusatia, between 70 and almost 100 litres. According to a warning from the DWD on Thursday, there is a risk of flooding of streets, underpasses and buildings near the water, as well as landslides.

The highest water level on the Elbe in Saxony is expected to occur on Wednesday and Thursday of next week. That is why time is of the essence when it comes to removing the collapsed section of Dresden’s Carola Bridge.

Rainfall due to low “Anett”

The rain is caused by a rare meteorological situation where a low pressure area in the warm Mediterranean region meets the cold air from the polar regions of the Alpine region. Such developments often lead to heavy rain, sometimes extreme rainfall and storms, explains Rainer Behrendt. ARD Meteorological Competence Center. The recent warming of the Mediterranean Sea contributed significantly to the depression “Anett”.