Storm Boris brings flooding horror to Europe as 'at least seven dead'
At least seven people have lost their lives and four are currently unaccounted for as Storm Boris's torrential rain has resulted in catastrophic flooding across Europe.
Videos depict homes submerged and emergency services conducting rescue operations, with the severe weather prompting widespread evacuations in Central Europe.
The floods have taken five lives in Romania, and one each in Austria and Poland. In the Czech Republic, four people were reported missing after being swept away by the floodwaters, according to police reports.
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The majority of the Czech Republic has been impacted, with authorities issuing the highest level of flood warnings in approximately 100 locations nationwide. However, the situation is most dire in two northern regions that have experienced the heaviest rainfall in recent days, including the Jeseniky mountains near the Polish border.
In the city of Opava, nearly 10,000 residents out of a population of around 56,000 have been advised to evacuate their homes for safer ground. Rescue teams utilised boats to transport individuals to safety from an area inundated by the surging Opava River, reports the Mirror.
"There's no reason to wait," Mayor Tomas Navratil informed Czech public radio, stating that the current situation surpasses the severity of the last devastating floods in 1997, referred to as the "flood of the century."
"We have to focus on saving lives," Prime Minister Petr Fiala declared on Czech public television on Sunday. His government was scheduled to convene on Monday to evaluate the damages.
The prime minister cautioned that the worst "is not behind us yet," as the flooding continues to ravage the country.
Thousands were forced to flee their homes as the towns of Krnov, which was nearly completely submerged, and Cesky Tesin were hit by evacuations due to extreme water levels in the Oder River that flows towards Poland. The city of Ostrava and Bohumin saw the river swelling dangerously, triggering widespread evacuations.
Devastation struck the Jeseniky mountains, where towns including Jesenik found themselves overwhelmed by floodwaters that reshaped roads into rivers. A military helicopter was drafted in to assist with evacuations, according to Jesenik mayor Zdenka Blistanova, who reported several houses had been swept away by the deluge.
Infrastructure took a significant beating, with bridges and roads suffering severe damage. Power cuts left approximately 260,000 households in darkness on Sunday morning across the nation, and travel came to a standstill on numerous roads, including the principal D1 highway.
In a tragic incident in Austria, a firefighter perished after "slipping on stairs" during efforts to empty a flooded basement in Tulln, head of Lower Austria's fire service Dietmar Fahrafellner revealed to the press today. The whole region of Lower Austria has been declared a disaster area, with emergency services evacuating around 1,100 homes thus far.
"We are experiencing difficult and dramatic hours in Lower Austria. For many people in Lower Austria these will probably be the most difficult hours of their lives," conveyed Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria, amidst the chaos wreaked by severe weather conditions. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer, on route to assess the situation in Lower Austria, disclosed that a contingent of 2,400 soldiers stood ready to bolster relief operations.
Meanwhile, in Vienna, the Wien River's banks gave way under the surging waters, inundating homes and prompting the immediate evacuation of riverside dwellings. Elsewhere in Romania, authorities confirmed the death of an additional individual in Galati a region already grieving four fatalities caused by extraordinary rainfall as announced on Sunday.
The crisis stretched to Poland, where Prime Minister Donald Tusk, speaking on Sunday, reported a presumed fatality due to the flooding ravaging the southwest. Mr. Tusk described conditions near Klodzko, a town home to approximately 25,000 people nestled within a valley in the Sudetes mountains close to Czech borders, as "dramatic".
In Glucholazy, rampant floodwaters breached a river embankment, sweeping through streets and residences. Mayor Pawe Szymkowicz broadcasted a harrowing message: "we are drowning," urging inhabitants to seek higher ground.
Flood-stricken zones face severed energy supplies and communication breakdowns, with areas eyeing the adoption of Starlinks satellite-based services for urgent connectivity needs, per Mr. Tusk.
Storm Boris stands accused of sparking potentially the worst floods observed in almost three decades, arriving hot on the heels of an unusually warm September onset in the region.