Floods 2024. IMGW chief: the load on the embankments is very high. “Special attention” to small towns

On Tuesday evening, the crisis team met with the Prime Minister in Wrocław once again. Donald Tusk. IMWM Director Robert Czerniawski admitted that “the load on the embankments is very high”.

– At the moment this wave is quite long, it lasts for almost two days. The further from Wrocław, the longer this wave will be. Therefore, practically every town is at risk and we need to pay attention to each town – he said, emphasizing that “smaller towns deserve special attention”.

– As for the wave and hydrological situation, we are already observing a clear decrease in Wrocław. Tonight we should expect a level below the alarm level. In Brzeg Dolny (Lower Silesia), Malczyce (Lower Silesia), Ścinawa (Lower Silesia), Głogów (Lower Silesia) and Nowa Sól (Lubuskie) we are also already observing clear decreases. In Cigacice (Lubuskie) there is stabilization, while in the evening and at night a drop in water level should be visible – he explained.

He also said that there is a “danger situation” in Krosno Odrzańskie (Lubuskie) and Biała Góra (Lubuskie) and their surroundings. There – as Czerniawski said – “the water level will be quite high, close to the level from 2010”.

– However, in the remaining towns, according to the forecast, downstream from Biała Góra, no particular threat from high water should be expected, but certainly from the load on the embankments – added the director of the Institute.

The Chief Commander of the State Fire Service, Senior Brigadier Doctor of Engineering Mariusz Feltynowski, said that the situation is being monitored using drones.

He also said that In accordance with the declaration, an application has been prepared for Minister (Marcin) Kierwiński to inventory buildings, infrastructure, to estimate losses and prepare a reconstruction plan. – Tomorrow we will be presenting to the minister in Warsaw – he announced.

Joanna Kopczyńska, President of Polish Waters, said that in Nowa Sól (Lubuskie) and Bytom Odrzański (Lubuskie) “local seepages occur” which “are sealed with bags”.

In addition, “groundwater is being pushed out”. – This is a normal phenomenon. Water appears on the surface, but it does not come from the flood, it comes from the pushed out groundwater – she explained.

She also said that “two towns were flooded” near Krosno Odrzańskie (Lubuskie) “due to the backwater on the Bóbr River”. These are Osiecznica and Stary Raduszec. – These towns are not protected by flood embankments, they are small towns. The State Fire Service is on site and is monitoring it – she assured.

The head of Polish Waters also said that the water reservoirs are in good condition. For example, the reservoir in Racibórz (Silesia) – she mentioned – is 11 percent full.

– As far as the West Pomeranian Voivodeship is concerned, there are currently no crisis events – she assured.

– We are starting the unblocking works and urgent works where we need to repair immediately. And so starting tomorrow on Biała Głuchołaska we will be removing and plugging the embankment breaches. (…) On Nysa Kłodzka we will be carrying out the works, we have already arranged with the contractor for 26-27 September. On Biała Lądecka we want to restore the power together with Tauron – informed the head of Wody Polskie.

The Chief Commander of the Police, Superintendent Marek Boroń, announced that no more people were evacuated over the past 24 hours, the number of deaths did not increase and one person is still being sought.

Boroń reported that 87 roads are blocked in the flood areas, including 7 national roads, 27 provincial roads and 53 district-municipal roads.

According to information provided by the commandant, the police have not recorded any cases of looting over the last 24 hours, but since the beginning of the flood there have been 21 such incidents and 17 people have been detained in connection with them.

Boroń drew attention to the problem of false collections on the Internet. He reported that 12 of them were detected in the last 24 hours, and 130 since the beginning of the flood. – In terms of forces and resources planned for the operations – there are 5,350 policemen. The forces sent from the country are 904 policemen – including one company sent to Gorzów Wielkopolski. The Air Operations Coordination Center has 22 helicopters, currently 21 patrol flights and four transport flights have been performed – informed the commander. He added that in the case of six helicopters, their base was changed to the airport near Zielona Góra.

Finally, Prime Minister Donald Tusk spoke. He asked the governors and starosts for precise information about “the demand, for example, in terms of waste collection and, in the perspective of utilization”. The head of government said that money would be provided for clean-up actions, including waste collection and further handling of destroyed property, waste and garbage, but he also wanted to obtain “detailed information on what can be done in addition to financial support”.

– If you need other types of help – human, organizational, technical, then I would like to ask for the most detailed information possible, and we will do our best to help you not only by financing these very demanding undertakings – said the Prime Minister. He added that the embankments and flood protection infrastructure are still under pressure from water, but based on information prepared by the governors, “the water is going down practically everywhere”.

He said that if the forecast comes true, “probably tonight at midnight, for the first time in many days, the water in Wrocław will be below the alarm level”. – It is too early to announce the end of the flood threat in Wrocław, the pressure on the embankments is also present here, of course, but it is certainly a turning point, at least here in Lower Silesia, especially since we predict systematic further decreases – he added.