A devastating dam rupture occurs in Poland amidst heavy rainfall.
The relentless downpour persists, submerging numerous areas in Romania, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Several locations are now submerged underwater. Emergency services are working tirelessly, round the clock. In Silesia, the scenario is escalating rapidly due to a dam burst.
Following heavy rainfall in the southern Polish town of Stronie Slaskie, situated in the Silesian Mountains near the Czech border, a dam malfunctioned. This resulted in a surge of water flowing down the Biala Ladecka river towards the Glatzer Neisse region, as reported by the Meteorological Institute on X. This poses a severe threat to the communities situated along these rivers.
Authorities dispatched a rescue helicopter to the area to evacuate those stranded by the floodwaters. Additionally, military personnel from the army and local defense forces are present at the scene. "We're losing ground," warned the mayor of Glucholazy, urging residents to evacuate. Thousands of people need to be evacuated.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who has been touring the flood-stricken areas in southwestern Poland since Saturday, confirmed the death of an individual due to drowning in the Klodzko region at the Polish-Czech border. He also announced additional evacuations and the deployment of the Starlink satellite internet system to maintain communication.
Tragedy in Lower Austria
The persistent heavy rain has engulfed large sections of Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Romania, leading to at least six fatalities and four individuals reported missing in the Czech Republic. In Lower Austria, a firefighter tragically lost his life while executing pumping operations, as announced by Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner. This region, which surrounds Vienna, is the hardest hit in Austria. As announced on Sunday, the entire state has been declared a disaster area. The military was dispatched to assist, and numerous individuals required rescue from their homes.
Mikl-Leitner described the situation on Sunday morning as "alarming." The risk still persists, and further heavy rainfall is anticipated, according to the Austrian news agency APA. Up to 60 liters of rain per square meter are projected in the coming hours. The critical situation worsens on the Kamp river, where a century-high flood is feared. APA reports that multiple villages are now inaccessible by road.
In eastern Austria, train services between Amstetten and St. Valentin have been suspended, as announced by the ÖBB railway company. This route is part of the Vienna-Germany railway connection. In Vienna, several houses are now submerged. The Wien river has burst its banks, and several U-Bahn lines have been closed.
Rising water levels in Saxony and Bavaria
At least four individuals died in the southeastern Romanian region of Galati on Saturday, as reported by authorities. Residents were seen wading chest-deep in water, and over 4,000 households were affected. In the Czech Republic, four people were swept away by the floodwaters and are now missing. Police reported three individuals being swept away in a car in the north-eastern town of Lipova-Lazne, and another man being swept away by the floodwaters of a stream in the south-eastern region.
The situation in the Czech Republic is most dire in the north-east, where a significant section of the city of Opava has been evacuated due to flooding. In the south, a dam burst, inundating adjacent towns and villages. In Brno, the southeastern Czech Republic, a hospital was evacuated as early as Saturday, and the north-eastern Moravia region declared a state of emergency. Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, also declared a state of emergency on Saturday.
In Austria, the storm "Boris" (known as "Anett" in Germany) has brought chaos. Portions of Tyrol were buried under a meter of snow - only a week ago, temperatures had exceeded 30 degrees. The storm has been causing havoc across Central and Eastern Europe, raising flood levels in the German states of Saxony and Bavaria over the weekend.
Given the current flood situation in Central and Eastern Europe, the Hurricane-like downpour in Silesia, Poland, is worsening the situation. The burst of the dam in Stronie Slaskie has resulted in a surge of water, posing a severe threat to nearby communities.
The Hurricane-like rainfall in Poland has led to the declaration of an entire state in Austria as a disaster area, with the Titel river expected to reach a century-high flood level.
