The barrier built on the road from Nowogród Bobrzański to Krzystkowice in the Lubuskie province passed the test – junior brigadier Arkadiusz Kaniak, spokesman for the Lubuskie fire department, reported in the evening. As the firefighter said, the situation in Nowogród Bobrzański has stabilized. The situation has also improved on the Odra in Cigacice near Zielona Góra and in the Lubuskie region. – At the moment, there is no threat from the Odra River – the firefighter assessed.
On Wednesday evening, the situation on the Bóbr in Nowogród Bobrzański was stable. By 11 p.m. the peak wave should have already passed through this town – said Junior Brig. Arkadiusz Kaniak, spokesman for the Lubuskie Fire Department. Junior Brig. Kaniak added that the situation would not deteriorate any further, and the flood wave on the Bóbr River would reach the Odra on Thursday around 11 a.m.
– The dam built on the road from Nowogród Bobrzański to Krzystkowice passed the test – the spokesman for the Lubuskie firefighters reported. The services are only recording local water seepages. Firefighters are patrolling the situation on site.
The situation has also improved on the Odra in Cigacice near Zielona Góra and in the Lubuskie region. – At the moment there is no threat from the Odra River – assessed a firefighter before 9 p.m.
The Odra River level is high there and in some places it has approached the top of the embankments. – The river does not pose a threat to the towns located near the river, but the situation is still dynamic – emphasized Junior Brig. Kaniak.
The head of Polish Waters reassures
Director of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, Robert Czerniawski, admitted that the situation in Oława was the most worrying on Wednesday evening. The residents' fears were dispelled during the crisis team meeting in Wrocław by the president of Polish Waters, Joanna Kopczyńska. – There is one embankment in Oława that overflows, but it overflows into an undeveloped area, so it does not pose any threat to people – assured Kopczyńska.
Referring to the other reservoirs in the vicinity of Wrocław, she informed that the Krosnowice reservoir is working normally, there are no threats there. – Two polders collecting water in Wrocław are working. Lipki, Oława, Rybna, Stobrawa have been working since yesterday evening, everything is also fine – said Kopczyńska.
The head of Polish Waters also mentioned the Mietków reservoir, which “was the subject of our concern yesterday and today”. She informed that it was necessary to slightly increase the water outflow during the day “to 100 cubic meters per second, but at the moment it was already possible to reduce it, i.e. less water is poured into the Bystrzyca, which means that it will stay in the riverbed”.
She also informed that the flood embankments in Marszowice 1 and 2, which will later receive water from Mietków, are being secured and raised.
Residents of Turów near Nowogród Bobrzański are preparing for a flood wave on the Bóbr River, 18/09/2024PAP/Lech Muszynski
Prisoners and Prison Service help with the ramparts
– Natural seepages have appeared in the town of Dobroszów Mały. The embankment has not broken. For now, we are not conducting an evacuation in this place. The residents know what to do if the water level rises. If an urgent evacuation is necessary, the sirens will be turned on. For now, we have the situation under control – said Senior Captain Piotr Kowalski, spokesman for the Zielona Góra fire department. The residents of the town are trying to secure their properties.
In Cieszów, about 7.5 kilometers away, 20 residents left their homes at the request of the services. About 50 people decided to stay where they were.
80 officers from the Prison in Krzywaniec were urgently called to help. Earlier, they had delivered food and water to the residents of Cieszów. 22 inmates also participated in the activities.
Both officers and prisoners in Krzywaniec have been actively involved in strengthening flood embankments for several days. They also helped at the J. Korczak Special Educational and Care Centre in Żagań, where they delivered and installed a firefighter water pump. Thanks to it, it will be possible to pump water out of the facility if it appears in the basement. So far, 80 officers and 22 prisoners have participated in the activities.
There are several dozen Prison Service employees in Cieszów (Cieszów, 18/09/2024, 1:25 p.m.)Prison in Krzywaniec
There is already water in Żagań, Nowa Sól is getting ready
In Dobroszów, the Bóbr River remains at 549 cm. Lubuskie Voivode Marek Cebula spoke with the Malopolska Voivode. – I asked for help and to send us half a million sandbags. The request was treated as a priority and the transport is already being prepared – said the Voivode.
Nowogród Bobrzański is preparing for the arrival of a wave on the Bóbr River (18/09/2024, 1:00 p.m.)Pawel Labeda TVN24
At night and in the morning, due to the high water level of the Bóbr, residents of several streets in Żagań were evacuated, where the peak wave had already passed. According to the local police, over 300 more people declared that they would leave their places of residence. In Żagań, the Bóbr reached a maximum of 750 cm. At 3 p.m. the water had receded by 10 cm.
– It's a real shock just thinking about it. We're afraid that if the water overflows, it'll reach us too – said one of the residents of Żagań in an interview with TVN24.
– I'm afraid. I didn't even go to work today. I brought my family to stay with the child. I'm just scared – added another woman.
Nowa Sól is preparing for the peak wave on the Odra, where the peak wave is expected to reach on Saturday. Preparations for flood protection are also underway in Będowo near Czerwieńsk. There, houses are being protected with sandbags, among other things.
Main image source: TVN24