Historic floods hit central Europe, claiming at least 21 lives
Storm Boris has wreaked havoc across Central and Eastern Europe over the past 4 days, unleashing catastrophic floods that have claimed at least 21 lives, displaced thousands, and left entire regions under water. Countries like Austria, Poland, and the Czech Republic are battling widespread destruction as rivers overflow, bridges collapse, and emergency services struggle to manage the crisis.
Image credit: Mischa von Jadczak
- A historic rainfall event took place over central Europe over the past 4 days, causing widespread severe flooding and claiming the lives of at least 18 people.
- Parts of the Czech Republic saw over 450 mm (17.7 inches) or over 6 month’s worth of rain in just 4 days.
- The region has also seen abrupt cooling, just 7 days after the record-breaking start of September.
- In Austria, nearly 48 consecutive hours of snowfall, coupled with strong winds, created extreme conditions rarely seen even during peak winter months. The relentless snow accumulation has resulted in significant disruptions, including impassable roads and increased avalanche risks.
Storm Boris — also known as Cyclone Boris — brought days of torrential rain to Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, and Hungary, causing catastrophic flooding, widespread destruction and loss of life.
As of Monday afternoon (LT), the storm has caused at least 18 deaths, the evacuation of thousands from their homes, and the destruction of key infrastructure. Residents and officials are assessing the damage and rescuing those in danger, while emergency services struggle to cope with the widespread crisis.
By Tuesday, the number of fatalities rose to 21.
In Vienna, Austria the Wien River overflowed, flooding surrounding areas and forcing evacuations. Lower Austria, the province surrounding Vienna, has been declared a disaster zone. Currently, the death toll stands at three.
Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria, warned residents on Sunday, September 15 that for many of them, ‘the upcoming hours will be the worst of their lives.’
Emergency services conducted roughly 5 000 interventions in Lower Austria, while Vienna saw about 150 firefighting operations to clear storm debris and pump out flooded cellars.
10 000 relief forces have rescued people from 1 100 houses, and emergency accommodations are being set up for people who evacuated due to the floods. A firefighter lost his life after slipping on stairs while pumping out a flooded basement in Tulln on September 14.
The flooding has caused significant disruptions across Austria, with multiple trains canceled and parts of Vienna’s underground closed. At least one motorway was flooded wile four out of Vienna’s five metro lines were shut down due to rising waters.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said that 2 400 soldiers are ready to support relief efforts, with 1 000 stationed in the disaster-stricken Lower Austria region.
In Tyrol, some areas experienced up to 1 m (3.3 feet) of snow, a rare occurrence for mid-September.
Poland has experienced severe flooding, particularly in the southwestern region. Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed the first death, which was caused by drowning, in the Klodzko area near the Polish-Czech border. Around 1 600 people were evacuated from this region, where rescue operations are ongoing. The death toll has risen to five according to reports by local media.
The situation remains dire, with rising waters in the town of Glucholazy, where Mayor Paweł Szymkowicz said, “We are drowning,” urging residents to evacuate to higher ground. In Stronie Slaskie, a dam breach led to the collapse of a bridge, flooding streets and homes. Another bridge collapsed in Glucholazy.
The Polish government declared a state of natural disaster, and the army has been called in to assist firefighters. Helicopters were used to evacuate people stranded on rooftops.
In the Klodzko Valley region,floods submerged cars and inundated homes, energy supplies and communications have also been cut off in some areas.
Roughly 17 000 people were left without power in the Klodzko region, and Starlink satellite connections are being used to maintain communication.
The Ministry of Defense reported that soldiers assisting local populations had become cut off from their return route due to the flooding. On September 15, the mayor of Klodzko announced that his town had “lost the battle” against the floods, and the situation had become “critical.”
In Wroclaw, in the southwestern region of Silesia, Mayor Jacek Sutryk said the city of some 600 000 people were preparing for water levels peaking on September 18.
On September 16, the Topola reservoir collapsed causing water to gush towards the village of Kozielno. Several nearby towns and villages would have to be evacuated, said local authorities.
Reservoir ‘Topola’ failed near Paczków, Poland, 2024-09-16
byu/spacegardener inCatastrophicFailure
The Czech Republic has also been severely impacted, with some areas receiving three months’ worth of rainfall in just three days. Reports say that there has been three casualties and 8 people remain missing in total.
North and South Moravia have been particularly affected. In North Moravia, police reported that four people were missing after being swept away by floodwaters. Three of the victims were in a car that fell into the Staric River near Lipova-Lazne. Rainfall in the region has reached 500 mm (19.7 inches) since September 11.
Helicopters were used to evacuate people stranded in the Lipova-Lazne District, and a total of 10 000 people have been evacuated across the country, according to the head of Fire Services.
In Opava, approximately 10 000 people, nearly one-fifth of the population, were asked to evacuate due to flooding from the Opava River. Mayor Tomas Navratil urged residents to move to higher ground, stating, “There’s no reason to wait.” Navratil said the floods were worse than those in 1997, which were considered the flood of the century at the time.
A rising Morava River caused around 70 percent of Litovel (population 9 810) to go underwater and shut down schools and health facilities as waters rose to a height of 1 m (3.2 feet).
The Jeseniky Mountains near the Polish border also saw heavy rainfall and floods. Residents in Lipov and nearby towns have been working to clean up before the next wave of floods.
Mayor Zdenka Blistanova of Jesenik, another hard-hit area, reported that several houses were destroyed, and roads and bridges were badly damaged.
Thousands were evacuated from the towns of Kronv and Cesky Tesin. The Oder River, which flows through Poland, prompted evacuations in Ostrava and Bohumin as waters rose to dangerous levels. Almost no trains are operating in the region.
The mayor of Nysa asked 40 000 residents of the town to evacuate immediately on September 16 in the afternoon due to a breach in the nearby floodbank.
Flooded parts of Ostrava forced the closure of a power plant supplying heat and hot water to the city as well as two chemical plants.
Rescuers have used boats and helicopters to evacuate residents. The Czech government declared the highest flood warnings at around 100 locations nationwide. Prime Minister Petr Fiala warned that the worst might still be ahead, stating, “The worst is not behind us yet.”
Roughly 260 000 households were left without power, and traffic was halted on several roads, including the D1 highway on September 15.
On September 16, the Jesenik weather station has recorded 463.7 mm (18.25 inches) of rain in 4 days, which equivalents to roughly 6 months of rainfall for the region.
Romania reported seven deaths due to the floods, with bodies found in the Galati region. Thousands of homes have been damaged or destroyed, and more than 6 000 households and 25 000 people have been left without power in Galati alone. A Black Hawk helicopter was deployed in the region to assist in rescue operations.
The bodies of three elderly women and two men were found in Pechea, Draguseni, Costache Negri, and Corod. Authorities stated one victim had been dead for two days, and the floods or severe weather did not cause the fatality.
Mayor Emil Dragomir of Slobozia Conachi, a village in Galati, described the flooding as “a catastrophe of epic proportions,” with 700 homes inundated.
Roughly 160 mm (6.3 inches) of rain fell in some badly flooded regions, according to Mircea Fechet on September 14.
The storms battered 19 localities across eight counties. Strong winds caused dozens of trees to fall, damaging cars and blocking several roads.
Emergency services in Romania have been working to rescue people and animals stranded in flooded homes and streets. In some areas, residents waded through armpit-high water to reach safety. The government has set up temporary shelters for those displaced by the flooding.
Heavy rains and strong winds, triggered by the low-pressure system near northern Italy, have battered the regions since September 12 and are expected to continue through September 16.
n Hungary and Slovakia, authorities are still bracing for severe flooding.
As of September 16, in Budapest, Hungary, the Danube River is forecast to rise to more than 8.5 m (27.9 feet), nearing the 8.91 m (29.2 feet) record set in 2013.
In Slovakia, a state of emergency has been declared in the capital, Bratislava, due to the risk of flooding.
While Boris is currently weakening, 50 to 100 mm (2 to 4 inches) of rain along with some snow in the mountains is still possible for parts of Austria Czech Republic, and southeastern Germany over the course of the next two days.
Updates
17:57 UTC, September 17
The total death toll from the floods has risen to 21. An 81-year-old woman was found dead in her flooded home. Another death was reported in the Czech Republic after a woman drowned near the country’s border with Poland.
The Italian National Civil Protection Service issued Yellow alerts for nearly 50 regions for September 18, warning there is a risk of storms, landslides, and floods.
The Emilia-Romagna and Marche regions are the regions of greatest concern, according to BBC Weather forecasts.
The region could see one or two months’ worth of rainfall in the next three days alone, and there are major concerns over the prospect of flooding.
The Italian Air Force Meteorological Service has Issued Red Weather Warnings for September 18.
Firefighters in Pescara, Abruzzo say they have already received more than 200 calls for help after heavy rainfall triggered flooding.
Polish police confirmed 6 deaths across the country denying false reports of the death of more than a dozen people. Prime Minister Donald Tusk declared a month-long natural disaster as Wroclaw expects the worst flooding to strike on Wednesday.
In the Czech Republic, the regions bordering Poland have been the worst hit with almost 15 000 people being forced to evacuate, as the country faced the worst flooding in 27 years.
Oder River in Ostrava Burst from its banks after heavy rainfall on Tuesday, September, 17. Temperatures in Ostrava have dropped from about 30 °C (68 °F) to 10 °C (50 °F).
Water levels continue to rise in the River Danube in Slovakia and Hungary, with the Slovak capital Bratislava, and its Hungarian counterpart Budapest preparing for possible flooding.
More rain is forecast in the eastern Carpathians, Romania, endangering towns and villages in Galati and Vaslui counties, which have already been hard hit.
The Croatian Meteorological and Hydrological Service predicts that the Danube could see an extremely rare increase in water levels and they are planning to place flood barriers if needed.
Austrian authorities have closed sections of the Danube to shipping traffic over the elevated water levels along the vital waterway.
References:
1 Floods claim more lives as torrential rain pounds central Europe – Reuters – September 16, 2024
2 At least 8 dead, 4 missing as torrential rain and flooding hits Central Europe – CBS – September 15, 2024
3 ‘Catastrophe’ as deadly floods hit Central and Eastern Europe – BBC – September 16, 2024
4 4 deaths reported in eastern Romania as torrential rainstorms flood homes, block roads – CBS – Septmber 14, 2024
5 Death toll rises as storm lashes central, eastern Europe – France 24 – September 15, 2024
6 15 dead, tens of thousands displaced as Storm Boris lashes Central, Eastern Europe – AA – September 16, 2024
7 Worst flooding in Europe in 2 decades kills 15 – CBC – September 16, 2024
8 Central Europe braces for further flooding ‘apocalypse’ as death toll rises – Reuters – September 16, 2024
9 Storm Boris casualties rise as floods ravage Central Europe – Al Jazeera – September 17, 2024
10 Italy next to face storm after 21 killed in Europe floods – BBC – September 17, 2024
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
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