Central Europe Has Been Hit By A Huge Storm, Causing Floods That Killed At Least 16 People
Scientists have warned that climate change caused by human activity is increasing both the likelihood and intensity of storms like Boris in Europe.
Storm Boris has brought torrential rains across central Europe, which has led to catastrophic flooding that has killed at least 17 people, left several missing and displaced tens of thousands.
The storm hit on Thursday, Sep. 12, bringing unusually heavy rain and strong winds to countries including Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Poland and Slovakia.
The Czech Republic has been the hardest-hit, especially in the city of Opava.
Authorities issued top-level flood warnings in nearly 90 locations as the Opava River overflowed, inundating neighborhoods and forcing about 12,000 people to evacuate.
Seven people were also reported missing as rescue efforts continue.
The Czech government described the flooding as worse than the floods of 1997, which killed 144 people in the Czech Republic, Poland and Germany.
In Romania, seven people were killed, mainly in Galati County, where heavy rain damaged about 5,000 homes and infrastructure.
“The water came into the house, it destroyed the walls, everything. It took the chickens, the rabbits, everything. It took the oven, the washing machine, and the refrigerator. I have nothing left,” one resident from Pechea village in Galati told AFP.
Poland has also been severely affected by the floods, particularly in the town of Klodzko, where four people have been killed and at least 1,600 people have been evacuated as houses were submerged.
Poland’s prime minister called the situation “dramatic” and urged people to move to safer areas.
Elsewhere in Austria, three people were killed, including a firefighter who was trying to rescue others.
The government declared the entire state of Lower Austria, including areas near Vienna, a “disaster zone” due to the extreme flooding.
Videos and images making rounds on social media showed houses and cars underwater, with high flood waters flowing through streets and besides the houses.
After the devastating floods in 2021, which killed at least 240 people, the scientists have warned that climate change caused by human activity is increasing both the likelihood and intensity of storms such as Boris in Europe.
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