Central Europe Faces Devastating Flooding with Fatalities and Widespread Evacuations

Heavy rains have caused widespread flooding across central Europe, with devastating impacts reported in Poland, Austria, and the Czech Republic. On Sunday, the situation worsened, leading to one fatality in southwestern Poland, where a person drowned, and another fatality in Austria, where a rescue worker lost their life while addressing the flooding crisis.

Thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes, and the heavy rain, attributed to a low-pressure system named Boris, has left rivers overflowing from Poland to Romania. Forecasts indicate that the adverse weather conditions, including more rain and strong winds, will persist at least through Monday.

In the Czech Republic and Poland, some areas have experienced the worst flooding in nearly 30 years. The heavy downpours have led to significant evacuations, with towns in these regions clearing out thousands of residents. Power outages have affected around 250,000 homes in the Czech Republic.

The flooding has also caused infrastructure damage; in the Polish town of Glucholazy near the Czech border, a bridge collapsed, and further incidents occurred in the mountain town of Stronie Slaskie where a dam burst and a house was swept away.

Residents in the affected areas are bracing for worsening conditions as water levels are expected to rise further. In the Czech village of Visnova, local resident Ferdinand Gampl expressed concerns that the situation will deteriorate further as water from the Jizera Mountains makes its way into their area.

Authorities in the Czech Republic are searching for three individuals who went missing after their car plunged into the river Staric. The region has received approximately 500 mm (19.7 inches) of rain since Wednesday, exacerbating the flooding.

In the Czech town of Jesenik and its neighboring areas, floodwaters have severely damaged homes and carried debris. Local residents like Mirek Burianek and Pavel Bily have reported extreme flooding conditions, with some homes completely submerged.

The local infrastructure has been heavily impacted, leading to communication breakdowns and delays in emergency responses. Over 10,000 people have been evacuated, and rescue services have used helicopters to reach stranded individuals.

The flooding crisis has also extended to neighboring Hungary, where officials in Budapest are preparing for a significant rise in the Danube River. Predictions suggest the river may reach over 8.5 meters (27.9 feet), approaching the record levels seen in 2013.

Budapest’s mayor, Gergely Karacsony, has assured that the city is prepared to handle what could be one of the most severe floods in recent years, highlighting the broad impact of the ongoing weather events across central Europe.