Continuous rain in Central Europe: Flood alert in the Czech Republic – Poland evacuates villages

In Germany’s eastern neighbours Poland and the Czech Republic, flooding occurred after persistent rain during the night. In the Czech Republic, 60,000 households were without electricity. Emergency services in the two countries, as well as in Austria and Slovakia, had already prepared for severe weather on Friday. The heavy rainfall east of the Elbe and Spree is also expected to cause the water levels of the Elbe in Saxony to rise.

Possibly on Saturday evening, Schöna gauge reached alert level 1, for Dresden This is expected to happen early on Sunday morning, as the Saxon State Flood Center announced in a warning. Alarm level 2 could also be reached in the Eastern Ore Mountains and in Dresden. The highest water levels at the Saxon Elbe gauges are currently expected from Wednesday and Thursday of next week.

The reason for the swelling of the Elbe is heavy rainfall in the catchment area of ​​the Elbe and Moldau Czech RepublicThe highest flood warning level 3 (“danger”) was in effect on Saturday morning at more than 25 water level stations, for example in Spindleruv Mlyn (Spindlermühle) on the upper reaches of the Elbe. Water levels are expected to continue to rise over the weekend. Particularly heavy rain is falling in the Jeseníky and Krkonoše Mountains, but also in southern Bohemia and northern Moravia.

According to the Czech Meteorological Service CHMU, 100 to 170 millimetres of precipitation fell in the most affected regions in the last 24 hours. In Mikulovice In the Jesenik district, water masses from the surrounding fields flooded houses and streets. Problems also arose there due to the White, a tributary of the Kłodzko Neisse. Firefighters erected sandbag barriers at numerous bodies of water. In many places trees fell because of the wet ground. Several railway lines were interrupted.

In Prague Experience the preparations for the expected flooding of the Vltava in full swing. Additional flood protection walls are to be built along the banks. Shipping has been suspended. The peak in the Czech capital is expected to be on Sunday night, with a flow of around 1000 cubic meters of water per second.

More than 60,000 households were without electricity in the morning, reported CTK, citing the energy suppliers. The administrative region around Usti nad Labem (Aussig on the Elbe) in the north-west of the country on the border with Saxony. There alone, more than 20,000 households were temporarily without electricity. The reason given was that trees fell on the overhead power lines due to the wet ground and the strong wind.

The flow of the large rivers in the Czech Republic is regulated by numerous dams. According to earlier information from Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny, around 879 million cubic metres of free capacity were available nationwide to hold back the water masses.

Time is running out for work on the Carola Bridge

In view of the expected flooding, time is pressing for the demolition work on the collapsed part of the Dresden Carola Bridge. “We’re running out of time,” said fire department spokesman Michael Klahre on Friday evening. A specialist company is working around the clock to clear the debris. The plan is to clear the entire area of ​​bridge section C, with the exception of the section that collapsed into the river early Wednesday morning. This is to prevent subsequent damage from the impending flood. According to information stored, the work should be completed by Sunday evening.

For Saxony, the German Weather Service (DWD) reported on Saturday morning that the early, persistent rain is expected to subside by Saturday afternoon. The night into Sunday is therefore expected to remain largely rain-free. The forecast then calls for rain to start again on Sunday.

Villages in Poland evacuated

Also in Southwest Poland the situation is serious. In the Opole region, the river Biala Glucolaska overflowed its banks. 400 residents had to be brought to safety from the village of Glucholazy near the Czech border. Interior Minister Tomasz Simoniak was on site and posted pictures of the work of the rescue workers on X.

One hundred firefighters and 60 police officers were deployed in the village, wrote Simoniak. Some of the residents of the village of Morow also had to be evacuated because the Mora River had overflowed its banks. In total, the fire brigade carried out 400 operations in the region. The Meteorological Institute is expecting continued rainfall. The alarm level has already been exceeded at 35 water measuring stations, the institute reported on X.

Upper Palatinate and Alps: Warning of flooding and landslides

For Germany, the German Weather Service predicted heavy, continuous rain on Alps and in the eastern low mountain ranges before. In the Alps above 1,000 meters, the precipitation comes down as snow. At altitudes above 2,000 meters, around one meter of fresh snow is possible. That is “somewhat unusual” for this time of year, said a DWD spokesman. At least the icy development should have a “flood-dampening” effect. Nevertheless, increased water levels are to be expected in southeast Bavaria – from the Isar catchment area to Berchtesgadener Land and the Bavarian Forest.

According to the Bavarian Flood Information Service, the rain is hitting the East of Upper Palatinate and the Eastern Alps. Flooding and landslides could occur here. Between Mangfall Mountains and Berchtesgaden Alps The heaviest rainfall is expected to occur in the next 48 hours, with 80 to 100 litres per square metre. But there could also be flooding in the rest of southeast Bavaria. So far, only the police in Upper Palatinate have reported the first flooded streets. The situation eased from Saturday afternoon, but the rain did not stop until Wednesday.

In parts AustriaThe weather conditions required numerous fire service operations overnight. In Lower Austria, around the state capital Vienna, rescuers were called out 160 times during the night, as the spokesman for the state command reported. The water levels in several bodies of water are rising due to the persistent rain. At the Danube A flood is expected, which on average only occurs every 30 years. For example, mobile flood protection was set up in the Wachau region.

Am Camp, a tributary of the Danube, authorities are preparing for a 100-year flood. Some holiday homes have already been evacuated. In some places the river has already overflowed its banks. On the Kamp, the disaster relief service was called in to protect a substation in Langenlois. In addition to heavy rain, winter had already set in in some places on Friday. A lot of snow fell in the Kalser Ködnitztal on the Großglockner in Tyrol. Traffic was suspended on some railway lines.