Flood in the Czech Republic peaks – dramatic scenes from the southern neighbors

At a Sunday press conference, Czech Interior Minister Vít Rakušan announced that over 12,000 people have already been evacuated. By Sunday evening, rescue services in the country had intervened over 7,800 times, and without a doubt, their work is far from over. According to Czech meteorological services, the flood in the Czech Republic will only reach its peak on Wednesday. Meanwhile, in 11 out of 14 Czech regions, the situation is already dramatic.

It keeps raining, more rivers overflow

As of Sunday morning, the heaviest rainfall, amounting to 109 mm per square meter, was recorded in the Krkonoše Mountains, according to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute. In the Jeseníky Mountains, 70 mm per square meter fell, and in the Šumava Mountains, 35 mm per square meter. As a result, mountain rivers have risen well above the third-degree flood alert levels. The situation is particularly dire on the Bělá River, where the water level reached 223 cm, exceeding the flood alert level by 60 cm. On the Facebook profile dedicated to the flood in the Czech Republic, people are posting shocking videos showing residential houses flooded up to the ceiling of the first floor.

On Monday morning, the water level in the Elbe River reached 597 cm in Děčín and 634 cm in Ústí nad Labem, where forecasts for Wednesday predict a rise to 765 cm. Extreme flood levels have already been recorded on the Opava River in Děhylov (586 cm) and on the Oder River in Svinov (699 cm) – fortunately, in both locations, the water is already starting to recede. The situation remains serious in the Pardubice region, where the Chrudimka, Elbe, Loučná, and Novohradka rivers have all exceeded third-degree flood alert levels.

Rivers in the southern part of the country, from Šumava National Park to Olomouc, are also swollen. Environment Minister Petr Hladík announced that the southwestern corner of the Czech Republic should prepare for the worst, as rain is expected to continue until Wednesday. On Monday morning, a total of 207 hydrological stations across the country were registering flood levels.

The flood in the Czech Republic is destroying more towns

The news portal idnes.cz reported at 9:50 a.m. that in Ostrava, the levees on the right bank of the Oder did not hold, and water flooded the streets of the Přívoz district, where an immediate evacuation was ordered. Earlier, on Sunday evening, the Třebovice power plant was shut down, leaving most of the city’s 289,000 residents without hot water.

The town of Litovel in the Olomouc region is 80 percent flooded. All schools and healthcare facilities have been closed, and most districts are without electricity. Buses and cars are not operating. In nearby Hanušovice, the water eroded and carried away an entire bank of the Morava River and rose by 1 meter on the streets in just 10 minutes. The firefighters didn’t have time to evacuate the population. The recently renovated town center has been destroyed. The once-in-a-century flood in the Czech Republic has also devastated many streets in Jeseník, where the first homes have already collapsed. Firefighters have rescued dozens of people trapped in cars.

The town of Bohumín, with a population of 20,000, in the Moravian-Silesian region, is almost cut off from the world. Large parts of the town are without electricity, the internet and mobile networks are down, schools and kindergartens are closed, and most grocery stores are flooded. Authorities are organizing the delivery of water, medicines, and food.

Commenting on the flood in the Czech Republic, a spokesperson for the country’s largest energy distributor, ČEZ, reported that 105,000 households across the country are without power. In many cities, there have been major disruptions in mobile phone signals. So far, one drowning death has been recorded, but seven people are still missing.

Threats of fines for amateurs

The flood in the Czech Republic is generating a lot of emotions. On Sunday morning, Czech media were shaken by the case of a man who decided to go swimming in the swollen Vltava River, providing work for dozens of police officers who rushed to help him. The irresponsible swimmer was carried by the water for two kilometers. A few hours later, another daredevil with the same idea appeared in Otrokovice.

There is also much talk about refusals to evacuate. Many people are not responding to calls and are closing their doors to firefighters, unwilling to leave their homes. Later, they have to be rescued from rooftops and fences by helicopters. Authorities are appealing for reason and understanding toward the rescue services, while at the same time announcing the use of the maximum possible fines of 100,000 Czech crowns (approx. 16,000 PLN) for obstructing rescue efforts.

Main photo: HZS Středočeského kraje