Soldiers and volunteers in southwestern Poland are racing against time, reinforcing riverbanks with sandbags near the city of Wroclaw. After days of relentless flooding across Central Europe, rising rivers now pose a significant threat to homes and businesses in the region.
Poland joins Austria, the Czech Republic, and Romania in grappling with the aftermath of record rains that began last Thursday. The devastating floods have resulted in 23 deaths across the region—seven each in Poland and Romania, five in Austria, and four in the Czech Republic.
The European Union’s head office stated on Wednesday that the floods in Central Europe, coupled with deadly wildfires in Portugal, are stark evidence of a “climate breakdown” that could become the new normal unless drastic measures are taken.
In the Czech Republic, authorities reported a fourth death on Wednesday. Police recovered the body of a 70-year-old woman who was swept away by floodwaters on Sunday in Kobyla nad Vidnavkou, an area severely impacted by the flooding.
While weather conditions have improved—with warm and sunny skies over the Czech Republic, Poland, and neighboring countries—the threat remains. Water levels are receding in some areas, allowing for the beginnings of cleanup efforts. Firefighters in Poland are actively pumping water from flooded streets and basements, and in Romania, about 1,000 firefighters are working to clear debris in the hardest-hit regions.
However, parts of southwestern Poland remain under imminent threat. Prime Minister Donald Tusk held crisis meetings in Wroclaw with local officials and rescue services. He urged the implementation of protective measures and assured that the government would support those affected. Floodwaters are expected to crest late Wednesday, with high water levels likely to persist for several days.
In Marcinkowice, near Wroclaw, soldiers and residents are fortifying a bridge over the Olawa River with sandbags. The Olawa flows into the Oder River, a major waterway originating in the Oder Mountains of the Czech Republic and coursing north through Poland into Germany.
Artur Piotrowski, the community leader of Olawa, described the situation as dire. He told the Polish state news agency PAP that two villages in low-lying areas have been submerged since Monday, with residents refusing to evacuate.
Thousands of Polish soldiers are engaged in evacuation efforts, rescuing people and animals—including dogs and horses—from the flood zones. The army announced on Wednesday that it has established a field hospital in Nysa after patients from a local hospital had to be evacuated earlier this week. Additionally, soldiers are constructing a temporary bridge in Glucholazy to replace one destroyed by the floods.
In the flood-ravaged town of Stronie Slaskie, residents have appealed directly to Prime Minister Tusk for assistance in coordinating cleanup and recovery efforts, citing chaos and inefficiency.
Experts are closely monitoring the Oder River as it threatens to crest in cities like Opole, home to approximately 130,000 residents, and Wroclaw, which has a population of about 640,000 and experienced catastrophic flooding in 1997.
(Cover image: A café is damaged after high floodwaters passed through the town of Nysa, southwestern Poland, on Wednesday, September 18, 2024. /AP)
Reference(s):
cgtn.com
