At least 14 people have been killed in Central Europe as extremely heavy rainfall has pounded the region, causing deadly and catastrophic flooding.
On Monday alone, four additional deaths were reported in Poland, with one in Romania and one in Czech Republic.
A low-pressure weather system that has traversed the region has unleashed a record amount of rainfall for a few days, affecting those three countries and also Austria. That weather system was expected to continue on its path and affect Hungary and Slovakia later this week.
In all, seven people have been killed in Romania, one in Austria and Czech Republic, and five in Poland.
Emergency declarations have been issued for parts of the affected areas in Poland, a measure that Prime Minister Donald Tusk had at his disposal to help facilitate rescues and evacuation.
After emergency meetings were held there last week, the country’s government also said it would provide the equivalent of $258,000 in immediate payouts to the victims of the flooding.
Rain there has caused some embankments and dams to burst. Receding waters also have left much mud and debris behind on the streets. All of this forced a hospital in the city of Nysa to evacuate 40 patients who were staying there.
It’s possible that some of the flooding could soon affected larger cities along the Oder River, including Opole — which is home to about 130,000 people — and Wroclaw — which is home to about 640,000 people.
Czech Republic authorities also declared an emergency for two regions in the northeastern part of the country, including for communities in the Jeseniky mountains near the country’s border with Poland.
Many small cities and towns have been submerged in water in the northeastern part of the country, and thousands of people have been evacuated as a result. In addition to local rescuers, military helicopters have gone to the region to try to help people get to safety.
On Monday, a lot of water was receding from the country’s mountainous regions, which left behind many damaged roads, as well as bridges and houses that were completely destroyed.
Petr Fiala, the prime minister of Czech Republic, said that the town of Jesenik was one of the hardest-hit regions of the country. As he said after visiting the town:
“The worst is behind us and now, we have to deal with all the damage.”
Budapest’s mayor in Hungary warned residents recently that floods that haven’t been seen in more than a decade could hit the country’s capital later this week. It was possible that the Danube River waters could breach the lower quays in the city by Tuesday or Wednesday.
That prompted Viktor Orban, the prime minister of the country, to cancel all his foreign engagements, which included an address he was scheduled to give at the plenary session of the European Parliament Wednesday.
As he said this week:
“Until we reach the peak and get past the worst of it, I naturally won’t be leaving the country. I’ll be here at home.”
