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photo-article-logo Monday, 07 October 2024

In pictures: Poland fortifies towns as deadly floods afflict central Europe

Poland's prime minister on September 16 declared a state of natural disaster after heavy flooding killed at least five people

Reuters Nysa, Poland Published 17.09.24, 04:11 PM

Volunteers in the Polish town of Nysa fortified floodwalls to stem swollen rivers on Tuesday after heavy rain and flooding round central Europe that has killed at least 18 people.

Flooded street following heavy rainfalls in Ostrava, Czech Republic, September 17, 2024.
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Flooded street following heavy rainfalls in Ostrava, Czech Republic, September 17, 2024.

Reuters
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Rivers were still spilling banks in the Czech Republic, while the River Danube was rising in Slovakia and Hungary, and flooding has also affected Austria.

View of Bohumin, Czech Republic, as the border town gets ready for Oder river flooding, as seen from the Polish side in Chalupki, September 15, 2024.
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View of Bohumin, Czech Republic, as the border town gets ready for Oder river flooding, as seen from the Polish side in Chalupki, September 15, 2024.

Reuters

The Czech-Polish border areas are among the worst-hit since the weekend, as gushing, debris-filled rivers devastated some towns, collapsing or damaging bridges and destroying houses.

A view of a destroyed bridge by the Biala Ladecka River in the aftermath of flooding in Ladek Zdroj, Poland.
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A view of a destroyed bridge by the Biala Ladecka River in the aftermath of flooding in Ladek Zdroj, Poland.

Reuters

Poland has declared a state of disaster in the area and set aside 1 billion zlotys ($260.38 million) for flood victims.

General view taken by drone of a flooded area by Nysa Klodzka river in Nysa, Poland.
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General view taken by drone of a flooded area by Nysa Klodzka river in Nysa, Poland.

Reuters

Overnight, volunteers helped rescue workers heave sandbags to build up the broken embankment around Nysa, a town of 40,000 in southern Poland.

People view elevated water levels from the river Nysa Klodzka at Glebinow hydroelectric power plant in Nysa, Poland.
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People view elevated water levels from the river Nysa Klodzka at Glebinow hydroelectric power plant in Nysa, Poland.

Reuters

Some residents were looking to check homes after evacuations were called on Monday.

"We had to escape, even though we have several floors," 45-year-old resident Sabina Jakubowska said.

"At this point, it looks calm, the sun is shining, people are still crossing the bridge ... we'll try to go home too. But the water is still there on our street."

View of a flooded house as the river Biala Ladecka overflows into Ladek-Zdroj, Klodzko county, Poland.
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View of a flooded house as the river Biala Ladecka overflows into Ladek-Zdroj, Klodzko county, Poland.

Reuters

National fire chief Mariusz Feltynowski said on Tuesday in meetings with Prime Minister Donald Tusk in the city of Wroclaw that the Nysa embankment was sealed, with military helicopters joining the operation to drop sandbags.

Deaths in four countries

Historic Wroclaw, with 600,000 residents, was preparing for peaking water along the Odra (Oder) river. Its zoo called for volunteers to help pack sandbags to protect grounds, although animals were kept safely from flood zones.

A man holds a bucket at destroyed banks during the aftermath of flooding by the Biala Ladecka River in Ladek Zdroj, Poland.
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A man holds a bucket at destroyed banks during the aftermath of flooding by the Biala Ladecka River in Ladek Zdroj, Poland.

Reuters

Polish authorities have filled 75% of a giant reservoir near the Czech border, aimed at cutting water levels and preventing flooding waves on the Odra and Nysa from overlapping, which is what happened in massive flooding in 1997 that hit Wroclaw.

A drone view shows a flooded area, after heavy rain triggered flooding in Slobozia Conachi, Galati country, Romania.
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A drone view shows a flooded area, after heavy rain triggered flooding in Slobozia Conachi, Galati country, Romania.

Reuters

Flooding has killed seven people in Romania, where waters have receded since the weekend, plus four in Poland, four in Austria, and three in the Czech Republic.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said more than 13,000 people had been evacuated.

Tens of thousands of Czech and Polish households were still without power.

A drone view shows the flood-affected area following heavy rainfall in Ostrava, Czech Republic, September 17, 2024.
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A drone view shows the flood-affected area following heavy rainfall in Ostrava, Czech Republic, September 17, 2024.

Reuters

In the northeastern Czech city of Ostrava, a broken barrier on the Odra at its confluence with the Opava river caused flooding on Monday of the city's industrial area including the BorsodChem chemical plant, coking plant OKK Koksovny and others.

People build a flood protection wall against the flooded Danube in Visegrad, Hungary.
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People build a flood protection wall against the flooded Danube in Visegrad, Hungary.

Reuters

In Hungary, at the historic towns of Visegrad and Szentendre, north of Budapest, authorities have put mobile dams in place preparing for the Danube floods.

People make a sandbag dam to protect a family owned restaurant next to the river Danube in Budapest, Hungary, September 17, 2024.
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People make a sandbag dam to protect a family owned restaurant next to the river Danube in Budapest, Hungary, September 17, 2024.

Reuters

Budapest is preparing for waters peaking near record levels, and has closed Margaret island, a recreational area with hotels and restaurants, where people have piled tens of thousands of sandbags to protect it.

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