In southwestern Poland, the fight against the effects of downpours is ongoing. The situation is dramatic in the Kłodzko district in Lower Silesia and Głuchołazy in the Opole region.
In the Kłodzko district, the most difficult flood situation is in Stronie Śląskie. As Kłodzko police's Tobiasz Fąfara told Polskie Radio, access to the site is difficult due to the blocked provincial road number 392. In Stronie, water overflowed over a dam. There is no electricity in the city, and residents are being evacuated.
The dammed-up water also overcame a nearly 27-metre dam in Międzygórze near Bystrzyca Kłodzka. The mayor of the city, Renata Surma, told Polskie Radio that the situation in Bystrzyca is very difficult. Not all residents took advantage of the opportunity to evacuate. Water has already flooded some streets in the city. The situation is similar in Kłodzko. Videos posted on social media show flooded streets and houses. Local authorities are appealing to residents of the city and surrounding towns to move to higher floors or to safe places.
Things also look very bad in Lądek-Zdrój. Local authorities are appealing to residents to take advantage of the opportunity to evacuate.
The water level on the Biała Głuchołaska river crossing Głuchołazy in the Opole province is constantly rising. It is already close to the one from the disastrous flood 1997, i.e. 380 centimetres. The fight to save the local old bridge is ongoing. Services are strengthening its structure by weighing it down with stone cubes. If the bridge is taken by the water, it will likely stop on the new bridge constructed a bit further downstream - and the dam it creates will cause even more severe flooding of the city.
The mayor of Głuchołazy, Paweł Szymkowicz, appealed to residents of the areas near the river to consider self-evacuation. This concerns the city, as well as the villages along Biała Głuchołaska. The authorities of the Branice, Bliszczyce, Branice Zamek, Dzierżkowice, and Baboluszki communes are also appealing for evacuation. It is also dangerous in Racławice Śląskie. Water is also flooding Biskupowa Street in the Głuchołazy commune. In turn, the Opole police are evacuating residents of the village of Głąbecko in Brzesko County.
Heavy rains also continue further east, in Silesia and Małopolska regions. According to the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, hourly rainfall totals there locally exceed 30 litres of water per square metre. This results in increased water levels in rivers, and in many of them the warning and alarm levels were already exceeded. In the Silesian province, rapid increases in water levels are recorded, with local risks of flash flooding.
Floods and overflows have already occurred in Bielsko-Biała. The most difficult situation is currently in the Stare Bielsko district. After the stream flowing through there overflowed, firefighters had to evacuate three people. In total, the fire brigade intervened almost 250 times during the night - local authorities reported. According to the hydrological forecasts, the level of the Biała River is now only supposed to drop, though
After a meeting with the services and local government officials in Nysa, Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that those affected by the floods will receive government aid. The head of Poland's government also asked all those living in places where the water is rising higher and higher to listen to the instructions of the fire brigade and police. In the morning, the Prime Minister will take part in a briefing of the services taking part in the rescue operation.
Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz spoke with the command staff of the Polish Army - which will support battling the flood situation. Soldiers are strengthening flood embankments and securing other areas at risk of flooding together with services supervised by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Administration. They are also responding to the needs of local government authorities and residents of threatened areas.
Meteorologists warn that today the flood situation will be additionally complicated by strong winds. The highest level of warning against heavy rains is still in effect as well.
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Source: IAR, PAP