Evacuation and Rescue Efforts Save People and Animals in Central Europe Flooding

The once-in-a-hundred years Central Europe flooding has submerged areas of Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany where a state of emergency remain enforced. As the heavy rains abated emergency crews were working overtime to drain inundated neighborhoods and open river traffic. In Germany, the local and national government and the military are working together to bring residents to safer ground and protect property as well. The Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel has promised an emergency aid amounting to US$130 million.

Full-scale rescue operation in Prague

Spokesperson for the Czech Fire Department Nicole Zaoralova reported that 10,000 people have already been evacuated. She said that one of the hardest hit is Bohemia in the western part of the Czech Republic. A state of emergency has been declared in the area but northern Bohemia where the Vltava and Labe rivers are located is still at risk. A number of houses in the towns of Usti and Labem do not have electricity.

The flood waters in Prague, the capital have already peaked and have started subsiding. The disruption in the transportation system in Prague was severe, but the city’s subway system was not flooded. The flood barrier system that was put in place in 2002 was effective in keeping out flood waters.

Meanwhile, Prague Zoo director Miroslav Bobek reported that the residents of the lower part of the zoo near the Vltava River were moved to higher ground including tapirs, monkeys, gorillas, and large cats. The gorillas were lured to a flood tower built especially for the purpose. Bobek added that they are working closely with other zoos in the Czech Republic that were also affected by the flooding

Unprecedented

The flooding may have already peaked on Tuesday, but forecasters are still working in making more accurate predictions as to when the Danube, Elbe, and Rhine Rivers would rise again. Reports of casualties and fatalities in Germany and the Czech Republic have come in and there are missing people as well.

Two of the most badly affected in Germany are Bavaria and Saxony. Flood defenses proved inadequate in the town of Meissen in Saxony. The historic old town of Passua in Bavaria is a city where two rivers join the Danube. The streets are flowing with brown water and the levels reached have already surpassed a 500-year old record.

Consequences

The damage that the Central Europe flooding has brought would be felt for a long time, according to local authorities. This is the worst flooding in the area since 2002. The crest of the Danube River is still on the move toward the east and may cause the same damage in Germany in cities downstream such as Vienna, Austria and Bratislava, Slovakia according to a meteorologist from CNN. Business establishments located beyond the communities could be impacted by the flooding as well since the flooded rivers provide transportation and serve as sources of electricity. These rivers are also an important part of the tourism industry in the region.

Heavy rains

From Saturday to Monday, heavy rains poured over Austria, Bavaria in Germany, the western Czech Republic and Switzerland with many locations experiencing a total of over three inches of rainfall. In Salzburg in Austria, rains that fell from June 1-2 equaled the average monthly rainfall for the area at 155 mm or 6.1 inches.

Photo Credit: Flooding June 2013