Capable of holding over 185 million cubic meters of water, the 26.3 square kilometer Racibórz Dolny reservoir in Silesia has held off raging flood waters from major cities such as Wrocław and Opole, as well as hundreds of smaller towns and villages, for over a week.
Devastating floods earlier this month left thousands homeless, seven dead, and caused hundreds of millions of euros worth of damage.
Now, thanks to the reservoir, locals have flooded its Google Maps comments section with praise.
While many of the posts have awarded the reservoir glowing epithets, including ‘Superhero’, ‘Brave guardian,’ and ‘King Racibórz Dolny the Great’, others have turned to note-writing and love poems to express their gratitude.
In one comment, the writer gushes: “Dear Flood Barrier, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks for being able to ‘hold water’ better than we hold our New Year's resolutions.
“Your tenacity in the face of the elements is impressive - no wave stands a chance against you!”
Another gushed: “Thanks, Old Man, for being here. Wrocław sends greetings,” while yet another said simply: “Not all heroes wear capes.”
But in a Homer-esque poem of epic proportions, a fan called ‘Grz Smy’ eulogized:
In the heart of Silesia, where rivers once roared,
Stands a mighty sentinel, a hero adored.
Racibórz Dolny, with a quiet embrace,
Holds the floodwaters, keeps chaos in trace.
Oh, little titan, you stand tall and proud,
A fortress of hope, ‘neath the stormy cloud.
We love you, our savior, our “little” delight,
In times of deluge, you rise to the fight.
With arms wide open, you cradle the flow,
Protecting Opole and Wrocław below.
As torrents cascade, you gather the streams,
Turning fear into safety, fulfilling our dreams,”
On Sunday, the Regional Water Management Board in Gliwice (RZGW) reported: “The water level in the Racibórz Dolny Reservoir is decreasing. Today [Sunday] at 3:00 p.m. it was approximately 59 million cubic meters [approx. 32% of the reservoir's capacity].”
