Another night of heavy rains in Central Europe has prompted extensive evacuations in the Czech Republic as floods have reached critical levels. Meteorologists are concerned that the situation may worsen as river levels continue to rise, with the possibility of more heavy rainfall overnight. Officials have issued the highest flood warnings in nearly 90 locations across the country, particularly in two regions near the Polish border that have seen significant rainfall, including the Jeseniky mountains.
In Opava, a city in the Czech Republic, around 10,000 residents out of a population of 56,000 have been urged to leave their homes and seek safety on higher ground. Rescue operations involving boats have been undertaken to evacuate people from flooded areas along the Opava River. The Mayor of Opava emphasized the urgency of the situation, comparing it to the devastating floods of 1997.
Thousands of individuals have been evacuated from towns like Krnov and Cesky Tesin, while concerns are high for areas along the Oder River, which is expected to experience extreme flooding in cities like Ostrava and Bohumin. Villages in the Jeseniky mountains have been inundated, with roads transformed into rushing rivers. Tragically, four individuals have gone missing after being swept away by the floodwaters.
The impact of the flooding in Central Europe has been severe, with over 260,000 households without power and major roads, including the D1 highway, closed. In Lower Austria, a firefighter lost their life while responding to a flooded basement in Tulln, leading authorities to declare the entire state a disaster zone. The situation in Lower Austria remains tense, particularly at the Ottenstein water reservoir, which is forecasted to reach maximum capacity.
Further east, Romania reported another fatality in Galati county due to the unprecedented rainfall. In Poland, dramatic flooding has led to one presumed fatality near the town of Klodzko. Energy and communication services have been disrupted in flooded areas, leading to considerations of utilizing satellite-based services for essential communication.
The flooding across Central Europe has impacted multiple countries, including Romania, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary. These events are believed to be linked to a low-pressure system originating from northern Italy, causing heavy rainfall across the region. The weather shift comes after an extremely hot start to September, with experts attributing the intense rainfall to a warmer atmosphere driven by human-induced climate change causing record-breaking temperatures.
