Flood alert for Wrocław, flooded hospital in Nysa, extraordinary government meeting, dramatic situation in Lądek Zdrój and collections for flood victims. Here are five things worth knowing on Monday, September 16.
1. Flood alarm for Wrocław
Flooding could spell trouble for Wrocław. Mayor Jacek Sutryk has declared a flood alarm. At the same time, he has reassured residents that there is no indication that the 1997 flood will repeat itself.
“The scenarios prepared by hydrologists and still in force yesterday turned out to be underestimated. Rainfall in the Polish and Czech mountains and damage to the dam in Stronie meant that more water will flow into Wrocław in a few days than was estimated yesterday” – we read in the statement of the mayor of Wrocław.
Read also: Flood in Poland. The Mayor of Wrocław has announced a flood alarm
2. Water flooded the hospital in Nysa, evacuation was necessary
Dramatic scenes unfolded at the county hospital, where water flooded the hospital's emergency department. Patients were evacuated from there on inflatable boats and boats. National Health Fund reported that 33 patients were evacuated, including children, pregnant women, patients from the internal medicine and surgical wards.
Evacuation of pregnant women from the hospital in NysaTVN24
The Nysa district governor, Daniel Palimąka, reported that only some patients were evacuated on Sunday evening, as they had to change their place of treatment for various reasons. The remaining patients are still in hospital, as the district governor assured, under professional medical care.
Director on the situation of the hospital in NysaTVN24
There is no decision yet whether all patients will have to leave the hospital. “If there is a need to evacuate more patients, the services of the Opole Voivode are prepared for transport, and hospitals are ready to accept them,” the National Health Fund noted in its announcement.
Evacuation of the hospital in NysaAleksandra Fitas/Nysa County Office
3. An extraordinary government meeting on Monday morning
An extraordinary meeting of the Council of Ministers will be held on Monday at 9 a.m. due to the flood situation – the Chancellery of the Prime Minister announced.
The government intends to introduce a state of natural disaster. The Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced on Sunday that after consultation with the relevant ministers and services, he had commissioned the preparation of a regulation of the Council of Ministers on this matter.
Tusk: I appeal to everyone to immediately follow the recommendations wherever there is a call to evacuateTVN24
Council of Ministers is also preparing financial aid for the victims. The Prime Minister has ordered the Minister of Finance to prepare funds for emergency aid and removal of flood effects. The payment of benefits will be coordinated by the governors, and they will be paid by the communes. – Yesterday, I obliged them to pay out the benefits as quickly and as simply as possible – said the Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration in Katowice on Sunday. Tomasz Siemoniak.
4. Dramatic situation in Lądek Zdrój
Flooding in Poland is affecting more and more areas. The situation is dramatic in Lądek-Zdrój (Lower Silesia Province), which has been cut off from the world. After the embankments at the dam in Stronie Śląskie failed, a devastating wave passed through the city.
Market Square in Lądek ZdrójAla/Kontakt24
– She carried cars and everything she could take with her – trees, bins, a lot of garbage, waste and of course a lot of mud – a resident told tvn24.pl. She assessed that the current situation is much worse than during the flood in 1997. Jacek Tacik, a reporter for “Fakty” TVN, reported on Sunday evening that the evacuation of residents of Paczków, located 23 kilometers from Lądek-Zdrój, was underway.
5. Collections for flood victims have started
Collections of money and items for flood victims have begun. The aid campaign has been joined by, among others: the Polish Red Cross, Caritas Polska, the siepomaga.pl foundation, the mayor of Warsaw Rafal Trzaskowski or the Polish Football Association. Caritas Polska is collecting money for flood victims via the website caritas.pl. Payments can also be made via BLIK to the number 668 070 000 with the title POWODZ or by traditional transfer to the account 77 1160 2202 0000 0000 3436 4384 with the note POWODZ.
The Polish Red Cross has launched a special collection aimed at supporting residents of flooded areas by providing food, drinking water, hygiene products and dehumidifiers for buildings. Payments can be made online via the website www.pck.pl, directly to the account number: 16 1160 2202 0000 0002 7718 3060, via BLIK (794 33 22 11) or the Zrzutka.pl platform
In turn, Rafał Trzaskowski wrote that after contact with the municipalities affected by the flood, he decided to ask the Warsaw Council to transfer funds for the reconstruction of Kłodzko and Nysa for the projects indicated by the municipalities.
Main image source: Krzysztof Cesarz/PAP