Weather - Storms and floods in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
Storms and floods cut off power to thousands of households in the Czech Republic and Slovakia on Sunday and Monday, forcing evacuations in several parts of the country. According to weather services and fire departments, the flood situation remained tense on Monday, particularly on the Elbe and smaller northern Czech rivers near the borders with Saxony and Poland. In the west of the Czech Republic bordering Bavaria, however, the situation began to ease according to the CTK news agency.
Around 12,000 households in the Czech Republic were temporarily without electricity, 3700 of which were still without power on Monday. In Slovakia, the number of households without electricity rose from 7,000 on Sunday to 9,000 on Monday, as reported by the news agency TASR. In Slovakia, important power lines also run through forest and mountain regions that are difficult to access, where persistent snowstorms hindered repair work. Fallen trees also blocked numerous roads and railroad lines in both countries.
In Mrakotin u Telce in southern Bohemia, 20 houses had to be evacuated due to the threat of a dam collapse. In other Czech regions, too, mainly remote houses outside the town centers were evacuated. On Saturday, the Czech fire departments recorded around 2,000 call-outs. Most of these were caused by fallen trees and flooded cellars.
Heavy snowfall, which then turned to rain, and a sharp rise in temperatures on Sunday, which melted the snow, also caused flooding in Slovakia. In the capital Bratislava, roads and parking lots near the banks of the Danube and Morava rivers as well as underpasses in the city center were flooded. However, the weather service SHMU and the fire department announced that there was no serious danger to the city's residential areas for the time being.
Freely accessible report by the news agency CTK, Czech Online report by the TV news channel TA3, Slovakian
Read also:
- A clan member is punished here
- Traffic lawyer warns: Don't talk to the police!
- Will he be convicted as Jutta's murderer after 37 years?
- He also wanted to kill his cousin
- Despite the bad weather, thousands of people in Germany, particularly in Saxony, braved the conditions to enjoy the Elbe river's scenic views, unaware of the impending flood danger.
- The weather forecast for the following week in the Czech Republic and Slovakia suggested more storms and potential flooding due to heavy rainfall, causing concern among local households and emergency services.
- The fire department in Bavaria, Germany, was put on high alert, ready to respond to any emergency related to the power supply or potential flooding caused by the storm.
- The household expenses of many individuals in the affected areas had significantly increased due to the temporary power outages, requiring them to seek alternative sources of electricity, such as generators or battery-powered devices.
- In Prague, the capital city of the Czech Republic, people were advised to stay indoors during the storm and avoid any unnecessary travel, ensuring their safety and the smooth operation of emergency services.
- Slovakia's president and other government officials visited the flood-stricken areas on Monday, expressing their concern and pledging aid to help repair damaged infrastructure and support affected households.
- The Czech and Slovakian governments are working together to assess the overall damage caused by the storms and floods, with experts estimating the losses to reach millions of euros, affecting both residential and commercial properties.
- In Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, locals were advised to closely monitor the weather and stay updated on any alerts regarding potential flooding, especially in areas close to the Danube and Morava rivers.
- Many public events and celebrations in Bavaria were postponed or canceled due to the bad weather, including a popular Beerfest, as the safety of participants and local authorities became the top priority.
Source: www.stern.de
