Five people died due to floods in Romania. The number of victims of the flood, which is taking place in the Galați region in eastern Romania, is increasing by the hour. border with Moldova. A military helicopter Black Hawk was sent to the disaster area. Soldiers are searching for a woman who was reportedly swept away by the water in the commune of Grivita. In this region alone, nineteen towns have been affected by the heavy rainfall. Some of them are completely covered with water, up to one and a half meters deep. Massive rainfall has devastated the eastern and northern regions of the country.
Heavy flooding in Romania. Prime Minister goes to the flood site
Thousands of people are stuck in their homes. According to meteorologists, in many areas, over the past 24 hours, up to one hundred and fifty liters of water per square meter have fallen. More and more villages and settlements are completely flooded. Firefighters reach the flooded towns using boats, as well as several amphibious vehicles sent here by army.
In the place of the heaviest rainfall, there will be prime minister Romanian Marcel Ciolacu. He is flying to the site by helicopter with several ministers. He has interrupted all meetings planned for Saturday to review the situation of flood victims on site and provide possible assistance. A red weather alert will be in effect for eastern and northern Romania until early Saturday afternoon.
The Czech Republic and Slovakia are battling a heavy downpour
The situation is also dire in the Czech Republic. The number of places with the highest flood risk is constantly growing. Water is starting to leak from riverbeds and streams. More than 63 thousand households in the country are without electricity. The blackout has mostly affected residents of the northern part of the Czech Republic – in the areas of Ústí nad Labem, Hradec Králové and Liberec.
Water has flooded access roads to the municipality of Visznova near Frýdlant on the border with Poland. It is completely cut off from the world. Firefighters are reaching the residents with heavy equipment, but there is no need for evacuation at the moment. However, residents of Mikulovice in the Jeseníky Mountains must be prepared for it. Water has flooded several houses there, and the situation will worsen. We wrote more about the floods in the Czech Republic in this article.
Slightly better news is coming from Slovakia. The flood forecast for the western part of the country has improved. Rainfall is lower than expected. The Morava River, which forms the border with the Czech Republic and Austria, should not flood – the central flood headquarters reported after today's meeting.
At the same time, however, the situation on the Danube is worsening. In Bratislava, where the third flood threat level will be in effect from Saturday, the river may overflow its bed. Minister of the Environment Tomasz Taraba announced that the installation of temporary flood barriers will begin in the capital. In the meantime, such barriers have already been erected in Prague. The focus is primarily on places where water entered the city in 2002.
The Calm Before the Storm in Hungary
The increased water level in the Danube is also felt by Hungary. The water level on their section of the river is rising rapidly. The peak is expected in the middle of the week, but the authorities are already preparing for a possible flood. It is still a bit far from the alarm levels, but the flood situation in Hungary is starting to look increasingly serious. Especially if we look at what is happening in Poland or the Czech Republic.
In the city of Komárom, the waters of the Danube have risen by over a meter in the last 24 hours. In this place, the river forms the border with Slovakia, and a few dozen kilometers further it flows into Hungarian and reaches Budapest.
The capital is preparing for the arrival of the great flood. Before midnight, the lower bank of the Danube was closed to traffic, which could be flooded within a dozen or so hours. The city and state authorities prefer to play it safe. According to hydrologists, the peak water level on the Budapest section of the Danube will be over eight meters on Wednesday. This will be slightly less than during the last, catastrophic flood in 2013.
The services are already preparing for the river to overflow. Sandbags are being collected. Mobile flood barriers have been brought to critical locations. Firefighters have also been put on alert.