Regions impacted by floods now hold anticipation for EU assistance
Relaxing tension along the Elbe in Saxony, worried glances at the dikes of the Oder in Polish Breslau: The flood crest of the Elbe has reached the Saxon river section, according to the State Flood Center. At the first gauge in Schöna on the border with the Czech Republic, the value was approximately 6.50 meters in the afternoon, with a gradually decreasing trend. Typical there is 1.58 meters.
In Dresden also, the water level is slowly decreasing, centimeter by centimeter. Hydrologists expect it to drop below the six-meter mark after midnight - below the level for the second-highest alarm stage. In the afternoon, it was 6.07 meters, with a typical value of 1.42 meters.
However, the danger is not yet over in Germany. Meanwhile, cleanup operations are underway in flood-affected areas of neighboring countries, and requests for EU funds to repair the damage are growing louder.
Flooding still a challenge here
In Brandenburg, a more severe flood situation is predicted along the Oder from next week until mid-week. The State Environment Agency does not rule out the highest alarm stage four. The city of Frankfurt (Oder) has set up protective walls along the promenade and has sandbags ready. Watch services for the dikes are organized and will inspect the protective structures if the situation worsens.
In Brandenburg, the state parliament is being newly elected on Sunday, so politics will likely not make any mistakes in dealing with the flood situation. In Saxony-Anhalt, water levels on the Elbe are still rising but remain below the alarm stages. In Bavaria, there was already a all-clear on Wednesday.
Situation in Central and Southeastern Europe
In most of the flood-affected regions in Central and Southeastern Europe, the major cleanup is underway: Debris and mud are being cleared from streets or removed from houses. Others are salvaging what can still be saved. The military is also involved.
The extent of the damage is still unclear. Therefore, the European Parliament is calling for more EU support. It is necessary to equip the EU's disaster protection procedure with more resources, demands a majority of the Parliament. Czech Finance Minister Zbynek Stanjura expects state additional expenses due to the disaster of up to 1.2 billion euros this year.
Billions from Brussels
"The most urgent question is of course whether we can help with financial means for repair and reconstruction," said EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in the evening in Poland. And she assures: "Europe is by your side." For this, funds from existing EU funds are to be used. It should be possible to initially make available around ten billion euros from so-called cohesion funds, said the German during her visit to Breslau (Wroclaw).
These are one of the largest items in the EU's joint budget. Cohesion funds are used to help economically weak regions grow and to balance out economic and social differences.
In the meantime, the number of fatalities has risen to at least 23. In the Czech Republic, at least eight people are still missing. British King Charles III expressed shock: "My wife and I are deeply shocked and saddened by the devastation and destruction caused by the catastrophic floods in Central Europe," a statement from the palace in London read.
Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, the Elbe in Ústí (Aussig) near the border with Saxony reached its peak at just over 6.8 meters - normal is around 2 meters. The protective walls held up against the floodwaters. In the disaster areas in the east of the country, firefighters, soldiers, and prison inmates helped with cleanup efforts. President Petr Pavel estimates that the cleanup could take years. An important state road was closed even for rescue services due to subsidence. The police spoke of further cases of looting.
Poland
In Poland, the flood wave reached the Lower Silesian city of Wrocław in the early hours of Thursday. The water level was 6.38 meters, said Mayor Jacek Sutryk to the TVN24 broadcaster. A water level of 6.30 to 6.40 meters is expected to persist for some time. Normal is just over 3 meters. The current flood wave is significantly lower than the Oder flood in 1997, when the water level reached 7.24 meters.
Prime Minister Tusk warned at a meeting of the crisis staff not to underestimate the situation. "It's too early to declare victory over the flood in Wrocław." One must continue to monitor the situation. The flood in Wrocław is expected to last until Monday - the hope is that the dikes will hold. Germany offered Poland military aid in the flood areas. Details, however, have not yet been agreed upon, the Ministry of Defense announced.
Austria
In Austria, the repair of the damage caused by the flood is also expected to take a very long time. The provincial governor of Lower Austria, Johanna Mikl-Leitner, now assumes that the rebuilding of the destroyed regions "will not take days, weeks, or months, but years." She considers a "national shoulder-to-shoulder" approach necessary for this.
Meanwhile, the situation is further easing, with water levels dropping everywhere. Around 300 buildings in particularly affected Lower Austria still cannot be entered. The number was still 1400 a few days ago.
Slovakia
Over in Slovakia, things are looking up in the western region near the capital Bratislava as the flood situation eases. Meanwhile, further southeast, the Danube is still swelling, with the biggest wave expected to hit Komárno on the Hungarian border on Friday. The northern tributaries of Slovakia are adding to the Danube's floodwaters there.
In the heart of Bratislava, the Danube hit its peak on Wednesday night, reaching an astonishing 9.8 meters. Since then, it's been a slow descent, with 9.3 meters measured this morning. Normally, the Danube sits at just 3 meters.
Italy
Italy's Emilia-Romagna region in the north has been dealing with heavy rain. Places like Ravenna, Forlì, and Castel Bolognese have seen their streets turn into rivers due to river overflow. Around 400 folks had to leave their homes and seek shelter at reception centers.
Because of safety concerns, many schools remained closed in Bologna, the regional capital, and other cities. The local authorities also urged people to stay home. In the city of Venice, the "Mose" system, made up of steel barriers, was engaged for the first time since the summer break to safeguard against high water levels.
In the European Parliament, there's a call for more EU support due to the extensive damage caused by the flooding. Legislators suggest equipping the EU's disaster protection procedure with more resources. Additionally, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed utilizing around ten billion euros from existing EU funds for repairs and reconstruction in affected areas.
Despite the efforts in Poland, Prime Minister Tusk warned against underestimating the situation in Wrocław, urging continuous monitoring as the flood in the city is expected to last until Monday. Germany has also offered military aid in Poland's flood-affected areas, although details have not been finalized yet.
