Thursday, November 14, 2024

‘Catastrophic’ floods and evacuations as Storm Boris wreaks havoc in Europe

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At least seven people have died and thousands have been evacuated from their homes due to extreme flooding across central and eastern Europe as Storm Boris causes chaos across the continent.

Some parts of the Czech Republic and Poland are facing the worst flooding they have experienced in almost three decades and there are rising water levels in southern Germany.

More than 10,000 have been evacuated across the Czech Republic over rising floodwater concerns, with several people missing and a quarter of a million homes left without without power.

At least seven people, who were caught up in violent storms and flooding have been killed in the last two days, while authorities hunt for others that have gone missing in the floodwaters.

Among those who have died are a man who drowned in Klodzko, southwest Poland, and a firefighter who died as he tackled flooding in Lower Austria. A further five people were reported dead in Romania.

In the Czech Republic, four people who were swept away by waters were missing, police said.

A state of emergency has been declared in Slovakia’s capital, Bratislava, and the Austrian province surrounding Vienna has been declared a disaster area.

A view of the flooded streets in Glucholazy, southern Poland (Photo: Getty/AFP)

Officials fear that the Danube River in Hungary’s capital Budapest could rise to near record levels.

Budapest’s mayor has issued a third-degree flood alert along flood protection sections of the river, according to the Budapest Times.

A bridge in the historic Polish town Stronie Slaskie was destroyed after a dam burst and a large wave of water “is now passing through the town” the Polish Ministry of Defence said on Sunday.

Local media have reported that a house has also been swept away and a bridge has collapsed in the mountain town.

Soldiers who had been supporting residents of the town are unable to leave the area as the route they took to get there has been cut off and many residents have been evacuated from the roofs of their homes, the Defence Ministry said.

The Wienfluss river overflows its banks in Vienna, Austria, on September 15, 2024. A fireman in northeastern Austria has died in flooding as the country was hit by torrential rains that have lashed central and eastern Europe, authorities said. (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH / APA / AFP) / Austria OUT (Photo by GEORG HOCHMUTH/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
The Wienfluss river overflows its banks in Vienna, Austria (Photo: /AFP via Getty)

The ministry added that a Mi-17 helicopter was sent to the town to help with evacuation efforts.

Czech police said they were looking for three people who were in a car that fell into the river Staric on Saturday near Lipova-lazne, a village about 235 km (146 miles) east of Prague that has been one of the worst hit along with the neighbouring town of Jesenik.

Footage has emerged which shows flood waters raging through towns in the Czech Republic, damaging some houses and carrying debris.

Jesenik resident Mirek Burianek said: “We don’t know what will be next.

“The internet network isn’t working, telephones don’t work… We are waiting for who will show up (to help).”

Police and fire services have used a helicopter to evacuate people stranded in the district.

Firefighters work in a flooded street in Glucholazy, southern Poland, on September 15, 2024. One person has drowned in Poland and an Austrian fireman has died responding to floods, authorities said, as Storm Boris lashed central and eastern Europe with torrential rains. Since Thursday, September 12, 2024, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rainfall. The storm had already caused the death of five people in Romania, and thousands have been evacuated from their homes across the continent. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty Images)
Firefighters work in a flooded street in Glucholazy, southern Poland (Photo: AFP via Getty)
People with a dog carry their children through a flooded street in Glucholazy, southern Poland, on September 15, 2024. One person has drowned in Poland and an Austrian fireman has died responding to floods, authorities said, as Storm Boris lashed central and eastern Europe with torrential rains. Since Thursday, September 12, 2024, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rainfall. The storm had already caused the death of five people in Romania, and thousands have been evacuated from their homes across the continent. (Photo by Sergei GAPON / AFP) (Photo by SERGEI GAPON/AFP via Getty Images)
People with a dog carry their children through a flooded street in Glucholazy, southern Poland (Photo: AFP via Getty)

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Klodzko county, which is partly under water after the local river rose over six metres, was the worst hit area of the country. He said: “The situation is very dramatic.”

Officials in the Polish town of Glucholazy ordered evacuations on Sunday morning, but efforts to protect the town’s infrastructure failed to prevent the bridge collapse.

In the Hungarian capital Budapest, officials raised forecasts for the Danube to rise in the second half of this week to above 8.5 metres, nearing a record 8.91 metres seen in 2013.

Budapest’s mayor Gergely Karacsony said: “According to forecasts, one of the biggest floods of the past years is approaching Budapest, but we are prepared to tackle it.”

In Romania, authorities said the rain was less intense than on Saturday, when flooding damaged 5,000 homes.

Additional reporting by AP and Reuters.

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