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Emergency services are working to strengthen flood defences in Central and Eastern Europe after torrential rains caused river levels to rise and damaged thousands of homes.
Storm Boris caused many deaths in Romania, with four people dying in floods in the southeastern region of Galati.
In the Czech Republic, flooding has led to evacuations and 51,000 households in the country’s northern regions have been hit by power outages, Czech energy company CEZ said. Flood barriers have been erected in the capital Prague.
Poland also evacuated some people from Glucholazy, a town near the Czech border, after a river burst its banks.
“We are once again confronted with the consequences of climate change, which are becoming increasingly noticeable on the European continent, with dramatic consequences,” Romanian President Klaus Iohannis said on Saturday.
Climate change is increasing the risk of extreme precipitation in Europe, as in much of the world.
A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, which can lead to heavier rainfall.
The mayor of Slobozia Conachi, a village in Romania’s Galati region, said 700 homes had been flooded.
“This is a catastrophe of epic proportions,” said Emil Dragomir.
In Glucholazy, in the southwestern Polish region of Opole, firefighters stacked sandbags as residents were evacuated.
A similar action is taking place in Krakow, Poland’s second largest city, with residents being offered sandbags to protect against flooding.
Piotr Jakubiec, a resident of Glucholazy, said he had prepared sandbags and pumps to divert the water, but that it was “impossible to predict what would happen”.
“This is the second time in my life that I see such a phenomenon. It is a nightmare for the people who live here,” he said.
Another resident, Zofia Owsiaka, said everyone in the village was “scared” and there seemed “no hope that the rain would stop”.
In the city of Wroclaw, thousands of residents had to use the stairs of high-rise buildings because elevators were closed as a flood safety measure, local media reported.
In the Czech Republic, a dam burst in the South Bohemian region on Saturday, and Environment Minister Petr Hladik urged people in the worst-affected areas to prepare to leave their homes.
Hladik said the ground was saturated and rainwater remained on the surface, increasing the risk of flash floods. Rain in the Czech Republic is expected until Tuesday, the minister said.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the country was bracing for “a tough weekend.” Authorities have set up protective walls of sandbags and metal barriers.
Football matches in the country’s top two leagues scheduled for this weekend have been cancelled.
