Polish Dam Overflows Leads to Evacuations in neighboring Czech Republic
The flood situation in several neighboring countries is intensifying. Romania has reported several fatalities, while Polish Prime Minister Tusk labeled the situation as a "serious predicament" following the first dam burst. In Germany, there haven't been major interventions yet.
In Germany, just minor flooding is occurring. However, the situation is critical in several neighboring countries. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk referred to the night from Saturday to Sunday as a "serious predicament". A dam overflowed in the evening. In Austria, numerous locations have been marked as disaster zones. The Czech Republic is also affected. At least four individuals have perished in Romania. In Poland, more rain has fallen in certain areas than during the so-called millennium flood in 1997, Tusk mentioned. He urged citizens to seek refuge ahead of time as water levels in numerous rivers in southwestern Poland continue to escalate.
The situation at a dam in the Glatzer Beskids, the boundary between Poland and the Czech Republic, was severe. According to the Lower Silesian community of Bystrzyca Kłodzka, the dam in Miedzygorze was on the verge of overflowing. Despite water being discharged, it had reached its maximum level! The water inflow was massive, they wrote on X. Villagers in lower-lying areas were evacuated, announced the water management department. The dam on the Wilczka stream, built in the early 20th century, is 29 meters high and can hold almost a million cubic meters of water. Even during the 1997 flood, this wasn't enough - the dam also overflowed at that time.
Evacuations were expanded in the Czech Republic due to impending floods. In Opava, near the Polish border, thousands of people were moved to safety, authorities reported. Hundreds of people also had to leave their homes in other towns in the region.
Dam in Lower Austria in danger of bursting
In Austria, the situation is particularly precarious in the Waldviertel region of Lower Austria, north of Vienna. The Kamp, a tributary of the Danube, has already caused significant floods. Deputy Governor of Lower Austria, Stephan Pernkopf, described the situation as a centennial-scale flood event.
Further rainfall was expected during the night from Saturday to Sunday. The Ottenstein reservoir on the Kamp is in danger of bursting. According to Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, the situation is escalating, with the military on standby to provide assistance. 42 communities were declared disaster areas due to flood risk - this number was 24 just a few hours ago. A flood on the Danube in Austria is expected to occur on average only once every 30 years. The peak water levels are expected to be reached during the night from Sunday to Monday.
In southern Bavaria, Germany, major flooding has occurred due to heavy rainfall. The German Weather Service expects the rain in the Alps to subside by Sunday morning. The police in Rosenheim reported late in the evening that they weren't aware of any significant deployments related to the weather. Some streams have overflowed their banks and streets have been flooded in isolated cases.
Meteorologists' forecast: "From Sunday afternoon in Saxony and certain parts of Bavaria, prolonged rainfall is expected from the east." Between Sunday and Monday afternoon, rainfall of between 30 and 50 liters per square meter is expected in East Saxony. In this region and in Brandenburg, heavy rainfall in Czechia and Poland could also result in flooding. "If the predicted heavy rainfall occurs, a flood wave is likely to form on Sunday to Monday on the Lusatian Neisse, and from mid-next week on the Oder and Elbe," mentioned a spokesperson for the Brandenburg Ministry of the Environment.
Removal of debris from the collapsed Carol Bridge in Dresden
Dresden, the Saxon state capital, expects the Elbe to reach a level of four meters by morning, triggering alarm stage 1. The normal level is around two meters. During the following week, alarm stage 4 could even be reached, with authorities not ruling out the possibility of the level exceeding seven meters. Therefore, debris from the partially collapsed Carol Bridge over the Elbe in Dresden was urgently removed. On Saturday evening, the first major demolition work on the part of the bridge on the Neustadt bank was completed. The city aimed to prevent water from accumulating at the debris and causing additional flooding.
The dam in the Glatzer Beskids, located on the border between Poland and the Czech Republic, is at risk of overflowing, similarly to what happened during the millennium flood in 1997. The floods of the Elbe have caused significant damage and danger in several neighboring countries, leading to the evacuation of thousands of people in Opava, near the Polish border in the Czech Republic.
