Apart from Austria, Czech Republic, Poland and Germany’s Saxony were also hit by heavy rains. In Poland, two villages had to be evacuated. In the Alps the snowfall limit drops to 1,000 meters.
Heavy overnight rain caused flooding in Poland and the Czech Republic. Emergency services in both countries and in Slovakia are already preparing for Friday’s storms. Heavy rain east of the Elbe and Spree is expected to raise the water level of the Elbe in Saxony.
As the Saxon State Flood Center announced in a warning message, warning level 1 will be reached on Saturday evening in Schona Kage; Higher water levels are currently expected in the Saxon Elbe river gauges from Wednesday and Thursday next week.
Demolition of the Dresden Corolla Bridge under time pressure
That is why the demolition of the collapsed part of Dresden’s Carola Bridge needs time. “We’re running out of time,” Fire Department spokesman Michael Clahre said Friday evening. “A special agency is working around the clock to clear the debris. The plan is to remove the entire portion of Bridge C, except for the area that fell into the river early Wednesday morning. This is intended to prevent any resulting damage in the event of an upcoming flood.” As per current information, the works should be completed by Sunday evening.
For Saxony, the German Weather Service (DWD) said in the early hours of Saturday morning that continuous rain is expected to taper off by midday on Saturday. Sunday night is expected to be clear of precipitation. According to the forecast, rain will resume on Sunday.
Steady rain is expected to taper off in Saxony on Saturday afternoon
Heavy, persistent rain has led to flood warnings for several rivers and streams in the Czech Republic. Maximum alert level 3 (“danger”) was in effect on Saturday morning at more than 25 water measuring stations, for example at Spindleruv Mlyn (Spindlermühle) on the upper reaches of the Elbe. Water levels were expected to rise over the weekend. Heavy rain fell especially in the Jeseníky Mountains and the Giant Mountains, but also in southern Bohemia and northern Moravia.
According to the Czech Meteorological Service CHMU, 100 to 170 millimeters of rain fell in the last 24 hours in the most affected areas. In Mikulowicz, Jeseník district, water from surrounding fields flooded houses and streets. The Bela, a tributary of the Glatzer Neisse, also caused problems there. Firefighters set up barricades with sandbags in numerous bodies of water. Trees fell due to water logging in many places. Many railway lines were cut.
Preparations for flooding in Prague
In Prague, preparations for the expected Vltava flooding were in full swing. Flood walls should be built on the banks of other parts of the city. Shipping stopped. About 1,000 cubic meters of water per second was expected to hit the Czech capital on Sunday night.
On the Elbe at Usti nad Labem (Aussig an der Elbe), the situation was still calm with normal water levels. The flow of the main rivers of the Czech Republic is controlled by several dams. According to earlier information from Agriculture Minister Marek Wyborni, 879 million cubic meters of free capacity was recently available across the country to retain water mass.
In the southern Bohemian town of Budweis (Ceske Budejovice), firefighters have been building flood defense walls since Friday evening. They loaded sandbags into the Maltsch River and set up a makeshift barrier on the banks of the Vltava River. According to meteorologists, river levels in the Czech Republic will continue to rise over the weekend.
The river overflows its banks in Poland
The situation in southwestern Poland is also dire. In the Opole region, the Biała Głucholaska River overflowed its banks. About 400 residents were brought to safety from the village of Glukoláci, near the border with the Czech Republic. Interior Minister Tomasz Simoniak arrived at the scene and released pictures of the rescuers’ work on X. One hundred firefighters and 60 police officers were stationed in the village, Simoniak wrote. Some residents of the Moro village were evacuated as the banks of the Mora River overflowed. In total, the fire department carried out 400 operations in the area.
As for Germany, the German Weather Service predicted heavy, continuous rain in the Alps and eastern low mountain ranges. In the Alps above 1,200 meters, precipitation falls as snow. At elevations above 2,000 meters, about one meter of fresh snow is possible. A DWD spokesman said it was “somewhat unusual” for this time of year. At night the snowfall range drops to about 1,000 meters.
From a flood intelligence perspective, replacing rain with snow at higher elevations has a “flood mitigation” effect. Nevertheless, water levels are expected to rise in the south-east of Bavaria – from the Isar catchment to the Berchteskadener Land and the Bavarian Forest. (APA/dpa)