Days of torrential rain have made rivers burst their banks and brought destruction to towns in Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania. Slovakia and Hungary are also bracing themselves for severe flood.
In Romania, six people have been killed, with the floods claiming the lives of another five in Poland and three in the Czech Republic, with the Czech prime minister warning “the worst is yet to come.”
Thousands have meanwhile also lost their homes and businesses.
Poland is expected to declare a state of natural disaster on Monday.
Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Czesław Mroczek, said that the measure aims to streamline rescue and recovery efforts, making it easier for authorities to respond to the crisis and rebuild the affected communities.
Meanwhile, Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak said the situation is “dynamic” and warned that further casualties could not be ruled out.
The worst-hit areas in Poland include Lower Silesia and the Opole region, in the south-west of the country,where critical infrastructure, including a dam and a bridge, has been destroyed by rising waters.
“The threat is still there,” Klimczak said, urging residents to remain vigilant, adding that flood waters were continuing to rise in some areas.
The mayor of the southern city of Krakow has also issued a flood alert as water levels in the city’s main river, the Vistula, continue to rise.
Czech Republic and Slovakia also hard hit
Slovakia and the Czech Republic are also battling rising waters, with both countries issuing warnings and preparing for the worst.
In the Czech Republic, Prime Minister Petr Fiala called the situation the “flood of the century,” with water levels in several regions surpassing historical records.
Particularly affected are the eastern Moravian-Silesian and Liberec provinces, where rivers have burst their banks, forcing mass evacuations.
The town of Troubky in the east of the country, which was devastated by floods in 1997, has once again been evacuated, with over 12,000 people displaced nationwide.
In Troubky, 700 residents were ordered to leave, though only a few dozen did so, with the rest remaining.
Fiala appealed to the public to follow evacuation orders, stressing the danger to both civilians and rescue teams. “Refusing to evacuate is not just dangerous for individuals but also puts rescuers at risk,” he said, warning of legal consequences for those who ignored the order.
Meanwhile, Slovakia is experiencing similar disruptions, particularly in the capital city of Bratislava, where the Danube River has surged to over 8 meters. Local authorities have issued stern warnings for residents to avoid riverbanks as conditions remain hazardous.
Several roads in Slovakia have become impassable, and public transport has been heavily disrupted. Northern Slovakia, especially the Čadca region, has been hit by its worst flooding in over 50 years.
With further storms predicted, the region remains on high alert. Both Slovak and Czech authorities have so far declined international aid, but their readiness to deploy additional resources, including Czech helicopters stationed in Poland, indicates that the crisis may worsen before it improves.
