Wleń. “This is the largest flood in history.” Losses will amount to several dozen million złoty

On the night from Sunday to Monday, great floods also affected the historic town and commune of Wleń (Lwówek district) after the reservoir on Lake Pilchowickie overflowed. On Wednesday, the water in the town and its surroundings had already receded, and residents and authorities were working to restore normal conditions.

Mayor Zych assessed that the wave that flooded Wleń was the largest in history, since the construction of the dam in Pilchowice at the end of the 19th century, and larger than in the crisis year of 1997.

– We all live in the shadow of this dam. Everyone is aware that if something happened to it, Wleń could simply cease to exist. Every time I have to repeat that the dam is safe. People are not threatened by the dam – he emphasized.

Although the dam in Pilchowice remains intact, the overflow of the reservoir caused flooding of the towns of Pilchowice, Nielestno and Wleń. In all of them, the great flood caused losses. According to the mayor's estimates, they will amount to several dozen million złoty.

Thanks to the all-night efforts of residents and services – as the mayor noted – most of the embankments were held, and the water in the market square was only a dozen or so centimetres deep.

– The greatest losses are currently in Pilchowice under the dam. In Nielestno, among others, the local historic palace was flooded to the ground floor. Today, the most urgent problem is to start teaching at the school. There were three meters of water in the hall, which is located below ground level, we have water in the gymnasium, the boiler room is destroyed, as is the municipal boiler room – said Zych.

– We also recently laid a new pitch, we spent a lot of money and we were very proud. There is no pitch, it was in a flooded area. The Pogoń Wleń club's changing room – flooded, practically destroyed – the mayor listed. He added that the municipal energy sector also suffered significantly, including especially photovoltaic installations, in which the commune invested.

The situation looks better when it comes to water supply. The mayor emphasized that the modern water supply system had withstood the damage, and on Wednesday tap water in Wleń should be safe to drink again.

– Power is being restored. According to Tauron's information, it will be everywhere in Wleń by the evening – added Zych.

Road infrastructure has also been damaged by the flood. The road to the dam in Pilchowice and the bridge over the Bóbr in Wleń have been destroyed. It is not yet known how much the losses in this area will be.

The rehabilitation and care center run by the Sisters of Saint Elizabeth was also flooded because the embankments nearby broke on the night from Sunday to Monday.

– Fortunately, their facility is a little higher. The ground floor and basements were flooded, but fortunately the upper floors survived – said the mayor.

He stressed that the city and the commune need, above all, financial support.

– A lot of help is coming to us from Poland, this generosity is extraordinary – he said, pointing out, among other things, the support coming from friendly local governments and companies.

– Today, the most important thing is financial aid, because in order to do certain things, to rebuild – especially in situations where the regulations are unable to regulate it – the best money is the one that we can direct to people – Zych emphasized.

The flood wave on the Bóbr has already reached the lower reaches of the river in the Lubuskie province, flooding parts of Szprotawa on Tuesday. The water in the Lower Silesian part of the river has already subsided, and residents of the flooded towns are trying to estimate and minimize the losses with the support of services and the army.