Deadly Floods in Central Europe Claim 16 Lives, Trigger Emergency Measures

Exceptionally heavy rainfall has caused severe flooding in Central Europe, leading to multiple fatalities. On Monday, four new deaths were reported in Poland, three in the Czech Republic, and one in Romania. The flooding has affected Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania due to a low-pressure system bringing record-high rains. Slovakia and Hungary are expected to be impacted later this week.

In Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk convened an emergency meeting and declared a disaster in the flooded areas to facilitate evacuations and rescues. He announced that the government would provide 1 billion zlotys (USD 258,000) in immediate payouts to victims. The floods have burst dams and embankments, leaving streets covered in debris and mud as waters recede.

Impact on Local Communities

In the southwestern Polish city of Nysa, about 40 patients were evacuated from a hospital due to the flooding. Schools and offices in the affected areas were closed on Monday, with drinking water and food being delivered by trucks. Many cities, including Warsaw, have called for food donations for flood survivors.

Experts have warned of flood threats due to the cresting Oder River in Opole and Wroclaw. Firefighters in southwestern Poland reported that a surgeon's body was found on Monday morning in Nysa after he returned from hospital duty. Additionally, the bodies of two women and two men were found in other communities in the region.

Efforts and Responses

In the Czech Republic, police reported that a woman and two men drowned in the northeast due to record rainfall since Thursday. The woman was found in Krasov, while the men were discovered at different locations after water receded in Krnov, which was almost completely submerged on Sunday.

Romanian authorities stated that another person died in Galati County on Monday, bringing the total number of deaths there to seven. One death had previously been reported in Austria. Authorities in the Czech Republic declared an emergency in two northeastern regions near the Polish border.

Military helicopters joined rescuers on boats to transport people to safety as thousands were evacuated from submerged towns and cities. Waters began receding from mountainous areas on Monday, leaving behind destroyed houses, bridges, and damaged roads. Conditions were expected to improve later that day.

Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala visited Jesenik, one of the hardest-hit places. "The worst is behind us and now we have to deal with all the damage," Fiala said following his visit.

Preparations in Hungary

In Hungary, Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony warned residents that significant floods were expected to hit the capital later this week. The Danube River's waters were set to breach the city's lower quays by Tuesday morning. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán cancelled his planned foreign engagements, including an address to a plenary session of the European Parliament on Wednesday.

"Until we reach the peak and get past the worst of it, I naturally won't be leaving the country; I'll be here at home," Orbán stated.

Karácsony wrote on Facebook that Budapest would use 1 million sandbags to bolster flood defences and urged residents to take extra care when near the river.

The severe weather has claimed 16 lives so far: seven in Romania, five in Poland, three in the Czech Republic, and one in Austria. The situation remains critical as authorities continue rescue operations and assess damage across affected regions.