As rain hammers Europe, concerns of more flood deaths increase.
After floods in the east of the country wrecked hundreds of homes and claimed at least four lives, Romania established camps for displaced persons and began rescue efforts. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has stated that preventing additional deaths is the top concern at this time, and military boats and aircraft are being employed to evacuate people to safety.
Abundant precipitation has been sweeping throughout central and eastern Europe in recent days, causing rivers to swell and flooding warnings to be issued in the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Slovakia, and Hungary.
Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, has increased its flood barriers, while inhabitants in some areas of Poland have been evacuated.
During a search and rescue effort, the four deceased individuals were discovered in the Galati region of southeast Romania, immediate assistance reported to the AFP news agency. "Dozens of people were evacuated from their residences in 19 areas of the country," they stated. Poland's four southern provinces are among the most vulnerable.
Polish Law Enforcement Poland's four southern provinces are among the most vulnerable. Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's interior minister, stated that the regions around four rivers were in a "difficult situation". The River Biala in the southwest has risen two meters over safe levels, and the neighboring villages of Glucholazy and Morow are especially at risk.
The River Biala in the southwest has risen two meters over safe levels, and the neighboring villages of Glucholazy and Morow are especially at risk. Piotr Jakubiec, a resident of Glucholazy, stated that although he had ready sandbags and pumps to deflect the water, it was "unattainable to figure out what's going to happen". "I've witnessed this kind of phenomena twice in my life. The residents here are living in a nightmare," he remarked.
A different local, Zofia Owsiaka, reported that there appeared to be "no hope of the rain ending" and that everyone in the town was "nervous". Naturally, I'm afraid. The most potent natural force is water.
Everybody is afraid," she remarked. Due to concerns about floods, the lifts in the town of Wroclaw were closed, forcing thousands of residents to utilize the staircases of the high-rise buildings, according to local media. Donald Tusk, the prime minister, has made an effort to reassure the people that the threat is not nationwide and that the forecasts are "not excessively alarming".
The highest flood alarm had been issued in 38 separate areas throughout the Czech Republic. Prague's zoo is closed, flood barriers have been raised, and public access to embankments has been restricted. A one-meter-thick steel gate was used on Friday morning to block the Certovka, often known as the "Devil's Canal," which passes through the city. The gate is a component of a national network of flood defenses put in place to stop flooding from causing the same kind of devastating damage that occurred in 1997 and 2002.
This weekend, the country's east and center will be the center of attention, particularly North Moravia, where 50 people died in 1997. Over the course of the next three days, the Jeseniky hills may receive up to 400mm of rain. This water will then flow down the River Oder, also known as the Odra in Czech, and into Poland, traversing several cities and villages along the way.
Many sections of Austria, which officials claim had its hottest August since records began, are anticipating 10–20 cm of rain in the coming days. It is predicted to be over 20 centimeters in certain northern areas. According to the storm warning center UWZ, historical documents for the full month of September will be "surpassed in just a few days" in some areas. Puls24 TV's Manuel Kelemen declared that "what we're going through is extraordinary, if not unprecedented."
Along with the possibility of flooding and landslides, strong winds are predicted in Vienna, the country's capital, and significant snowfall in the west has also hampered transport. Bavaria, a state in Germany, is also predicted to have nonstop, intense rain. Climate change is increasing the likelihood of extreme precipitation across Europe and most of the world. Greater moisture retention in the atmosphere can result in more frequent and intense downpours.
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