There are also population evacuations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria.
September 15 () –
At least five people have died in Romania and two more have died in Poland and Austria due to the stormy weather that has caused flooding and evacuations in several Central European countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria, in addition to the aforementioned fatalities.
The Romanian Emergency Situations Department has reported that five people have died in Galati County, the area most affected by the flooding caused by the storm, dubbed ‘Boris’. More than 5,000 homes have been affected.
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu visited the town of Slobozia Conachi in Galati on Sunday, accompanied by Interior Minister Slobozia Conachi and Senate President Nicolae Ciuca, according to news.ro.
Authorities have set up two tent camps to accommodate the displaced. Each has a capacity for 400 people.
Meanwhile, the Romanian National Institute of Hydrology and Water Management has reported that the red code alert for the rivers in the Barlad, Siret and Prut basins will remain in effect at least until Monday afternoon in the counties of Galati and Vaslui.
In Austria, a state of disaster has been declared in Lower Austria due to an “extreme, unprecedented situation,” according to the crisis team set up by the authorities and quoted by public broadcaster ORF. One firefighter has died during a rescue operation in the context of the floods.
The rain has already caused power cuts in several regions of the country, including the capital Vienna. “We are continuing to work on the problem in order to quickly restore power,” the power companies said.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the first death from the storm in the country, where some 1,600 people have been evacuated and “many more” are expected. “I reiterate my call to people in the danger zones to follow the recommendations of the firefighters,” Tusk said, as quoted by Polish television channel TV24.
Tusk warned that there are residents who “ignore warnings and refuse to evacuate.” “Remember: if you refuse to evacuate, you are a danger to rescuers. If you refuse to evacuate, lives may be in danger later. It should be obvious. Orders must be followed immediately,” he appealed.
In the Czech Republic, the worst affected regions are Moravia, Silesia and Olomouc, where more than 10,500 people have been evacuated and the rain is expected to continue on Monday, which will aggravate the situation, as the ground seems to have already reached its saturation level and will not be able to absorb any more water, explained the Minister of the Environment, Petr Hladík, quoted by the newspaper ‘Blesk’.
Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakusan has urged people in the affected areas to prepare evacuation kits. Four people are missing and 260,000 households are without electricity.
Meanwhile, in Slovakia, the rains have also caused rivers to rise, mainly in the Kysuce, Myjava and Carpathian rivers, where evacuations are being carried out with the help of the police in towns such as Devínská Nová Ves and Kuchyna. There are also road closures in Bratislava and Záhorí.
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