Central Europe braces for worst floods in decades

Forecasters in the Czech Republic and Poland say some areas could see up to 400 liters per square meter of water over the next four days, while Austria and Slovakia could see around 200 liters. Cultural events scheduled for the weekend have been cancelled across the four countries because of Storm Boris.

A wall protected by sandbags on the main road leading to the Devin area of ​​Bratislavas (Slovakia) during the floods that hit central Europe in 2013. Photo: AFP

Heavy rain is expected in Poland, especially in the south of the country, with cities on the Oder River including Wroclaw and Opole on high alert. "There is a risk of local flooding from September 13 to 15," the Polish weather service said.

In Wroclaw, a city of 675,000, the mayor set up a crisis committee, using all available water storage, while city firefighters put high-powered pumps on standby.

Czech Environment Minister Petr Hladik said the situation in his country “could be similar to what happened in 1997 and 2002.” The 1997 floods hit eastern Moravia, killing 50 people and causing billions of dollars in damage. In 2002, floods, mainly in the west of the country, killed 17 people and caused even more damage than in 1997.

Cities in Moravia have erected flood barriers and prepared sandbags to withstand the weather, while local forecasters have warned of winds of up to 100km/h.

Organizers have canceled dozens of cultural events, including a wine festival in the southern Moravian city of Znojmo, which attracts tens of thousands of people each year. Not far from Znojmo, the Roman Carnuntum festival in eastern Austria has also been canceled.

Austrian public broadcaster ORF said the rains could cause the Danube to rise to its highest level in five or even 10 years. In the southern city of Villach, Carinthia province, pedestrian and cycle paths along the Drau River will be closed.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said on 11 September that the army was ready to deploy up to 1,000 troops over the weekend if needed. The Slovak army and volunteer firefighters were also on alert.

If the forecast for Slovakia is correct, the rainfall could be greater than the 2013 floods, which were considered a once-in-a-millennium event.

Ngoc Anh (according to AFP)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/trung-au-chuan-bi-cho-tran-lu-toi-te-nhat-trong-nhieu-thap-ky-post312176.html