A dam in southwestern Poland burst on Saturday evening after heavy rainfall, while emergency services in Poland, the Czech Republic and parts of Austria continue to battle severe flooding following historic rainfall in Central Europe.
The municipality of Bystrzyca Kłodzka in Lower Silesia reported that the dam in Międzygórze had overflowed despite efforts to drain the water and prevent the flooding.
The regional water authority in Wrocław called the situation critical and decided to evacuate the lower-lying villages.
The dam, built at the beginning of the 20th century in the Kłodzko Valley on the border of Poland with the Czech Republic, is 29 meters high. The flood reservoir can hold almost a million cubic meters of water.
Since Friday morning, more rain has fallen in southwestern Poland than during the so-called Millennium Flood of 1997. The warning level has been exceeded at 47 measuring stations in the country.
In Austria, 42 municipalities have now been declared disaster areas, as water levels in the country continue to rise. The situation is particularly tense along the Kamp and Kremps rivers, which flow into the Danube.
Stephan Pernkopf, deputy governor of Lower Austria, said the region’s flood defences – strengthened after severe flooding in 2002 – are designed to withstand floods that statistically occur once every 100 years.
However, with heavy rainfall still expected, meteorologists warn the situation could get worse.
According to them, the water level of the Danube could rise once every 30 years in the Austrian regions of Weinviertel and Mostviertel.
At least four people were killed in eastern Romania on Saturday after the country was hit by heavy rainfall and flooding.
