It is raining so much in the eastern neighboring countries that flooding is imminent. What are the countries doing to prevent a catastrophe? Germany is also at risk.
Wroclaw/Bratislava/Prague – Germany’s eastern neighbours are preparing for the threat of flooding in the coming days. Persistent rain on Friday in Austria, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic increased concerns that rivers would overflow their banks. “We are preparing for the worst-case scenarios,” said Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala in the capital Prague. Some rivers are expected to experience flooding of such severity that, statistically speaking, it only occurs once a century. The situation could also become more serious in Germany.
Preparations in Poland
In Poland, Deputy Interior Minister Wieslaw Lesniakiewicz called for precautions against possible flooding. People who live on the ground floor near rivers should prepare for flooding, he told the radio station Rmf.fm. Garages should be cleared and cars parked in a safe place. “Situations may also arise where there is temporarily no drinking water or no electricity.”
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Institute issued a flood warning for the Lower Silesian, Opole, Silesian and Lesser Poland Voivodeships. Up to 150 litres of water per square metre could fall there, it said in a statement. The army and all uniformed services are on standby, wrote Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz on Platform X. Boats, amphibious vehicles and heavy equipment are prepared.
Crisis team convened in Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, the government called together a crisis team on Friday in response to heavy rainfall. The discharge from the dams on the Vltava had “increased rapidly,” Agriculture Minister Marek Vyborny said on X. On Friday, more than 300 cubic meters per second were released. This is to keep the capacity in the reservoirs free for the masses of water expected later. Protective walls were to be erected in Prague’s historic city center. A body was recovered from the Vltava – according to the police, it is still unclear why the man died.
Meanwhile, the Czech weather service has extended its warning of heavy to extreme rainfall for the weekend to most of the country. The situation could be particularly critical in the east of the Czech Republic. According to forecasts, up to 400 litres of rainfall per square metre could fall in Jesenik in the Jeseníky Mountains up to and including Sunday. The football league matches at the weekend have already been cancelled.
The authorities are expecting a so-called once-in-a-century flood on the border river March. The Slovakian capital Bratislava is located directly at the confluence of the Danube and March in the border triangle with Hungary and Austria. The country’s authorities want to flood specific areas in order to prevent flooding in Bratislava.
Austria expects up to 300 litres of rain
In Austria, weather experts are expecting massive amounts of rain with flooding and landslides in the coming days. By Tuesday, 100 to 200 liters of rain per square meter could fall in most of the Alpine country, according to the state meteorological institute Geosphere Austria. In parts of Lower Austria and Upper Austria, it could even be more than 300 liters.
Emergency services along the Danube were preparing for a flood that occurs every 10 to 15 years, authorities said. Among other things, mobile flood protection systems were set up and sandbags were filled.
In the mountains, snow caused local road closures. The state of Salzburg warned that there was a risk of avalanches at altitudes of 800 meters or more. However, flood experts viewed the fact that the snow fell to relatively low altitudes as a positive, as this meant that the precipitation would not drain away until it got warmer again.
The Austrian Federal Railways called on all passengers to postpone non-urgent train journeys between Friday and Sunday. The railway line between Bad Hofgastein and Bad Gastein in the Salzburg region was closed on Friday night due to heavy snowfall. Several roads in Austria were blocked due to fallen trees or stranded vehicles. Other routes, such as the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, were closed for safety reasons. Snow chains were compulsory in some areas.
Continuous rain in the Alps and eastern low mountain ranges
For Germany, the German Weather Service predicted heavy, continuous rain in the Alps and in the eastern low mountain ranges. This will apply in some areas in the southeast until Monday. Above 1,500 meters, heavy snowfall will occur at times until Sunday morning. In Saxony and Lusatia, the continuous rain will temporarily end on Saturday morning. According to the forecast, new rain will come from Poland and the Czech Republic on Sunday, although it will probably be less intense.
According to the weather service, on the edge of the Alps, 60 to 90 liters per square meter could accumulate within 48 hours by Sunday morning, in some places even around 100 liters per square meter. In eastern Saxony, the Ore Mountains and Lower Lusatia, 30 to 50 liters per square meter can be expected, in areas with accumulations up to 70 liters per square meter within 24 hours by Saturday midday.
Flooding expected on the Elbe
In the eastern parts of Germany, attention is now turning to the weather situation in neighboring countries. The Elbe could also bring flooding to Saxony, and the Oder to Brandenburg. According to forecasts, the Elbe in Dresden will reach alert level 1 on Sunday – the lowest of four flood warning levels. Alert level 3 could be reached by Wednesday. The water level could therefore rise to six to seven meters; two meters is normal in Dresden.
The situation is already tense because of the collapse of the Carola Bridge in Dresden. Emergency services are working hard to clear the debris from the river – how long this will take is still unclear.
Climate change leads to more heavy rain and flooding
Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) told the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland (RND): “I am looking at the next few days with concern.” In the case of floods, the first priority is to ensure functioning disaster protection and rapid assistance for the people on the ground. But she also pointed out the importance of climate protection and greater adaptation to climate change. “Basically, heavy rain events and floods are becoming more frequent because of the climate crisis. They are a massive security risk and are affecting people in their everyday lives at ever shorter intervals.”
Rivers need more space, said the Green politician. “Intact floodplains can absorb more water, and moving back dikes can significantly lower flood peaks.” dpa
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