Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Sep 15, 2024 | Society The flooding that has hit many parts of Central Europe has claimed its first life in Poland where southern parts of the country have been overwhelmed by torrential rain “The situation is very dramatic in many places,” said Prime Minister Donald Tusk on a visit today to the town of Kłodzko The Kłodzko Valley has seen Poland’s worst flooding with 1,600 people evacuated so far and 17,000 losing electricity In the towns of Stronie Śląskie and Lądek-Zdrój flooding buildings and leaving the areas accessible only to the emergency services A video from Stronie Śląskie showed one building completely destroyed by the surging waters Stronie Śląskie. Dom runął niczym pudełko z zapałek… Bardzo szybko przemieszcza się fala z pękniętej tamy. https://t.co/0Zco9KF9Hp pic.twitter.com/gRoZyxtg6C — meteoprognoza.pl🇵🇱 (@MeteoprognozaPL) September 15, 2024 Tusk revealed that it was in Kłodzko County that the flooding had claimed its first life “We have the first confirmed death by drowning,” he said The prime minister appealed to residents not to underestimate the threat of the floods and to obey evacuation orders more of which he said were likely to be issued while he declared this morning that it was unlikely the dam in Stronie Śląskie would be breached by the water later on Sunday the authorities confirmed that that had happened #PILNE: Tama w Stronu Śląskim nie wytrzymała film. @FaktyTVP3 Wrocław pic.twitter.com/GP04WPZ6W9 — Remiza.pl (@remizacompl) September 15, 2024 With travel impossible in some areas and some phone connections cut Tusk also announced that the authorities would be deploying Starlink terminals which provide internet connections through satellites operated by SpaceX “The first Starlinks are already operational supporting connectivity and communication in flood-affected areas,” announced digital affairs minister Krzysztof Gawkowski on X “We are working on launching several dozen more devices to ensure communication between [rescue] services and the civilian population.” Czechowice-Dziedzice, ul. Waryńskiego – aktualne zdjęcie z lotu ptaka. pic.twitter.com/yrKfwGLuX3 — Bielskie Drogi (@BielskieDrogi) September 15, 2024 Interior minister Tomasz Siemoniak added that a priority now is to restore road connections that have been cut by the flooding as well as to provide residents with food and water Amphibious vehicles were deployed this morning to carry this out Helicopters have also been deployed to assist in rescue and relief efforts while 4,000 soldiers are on standby to assist the emergency services a bridge in the town of Głuchołazy was destroyed by a surge in the Biała Głuchołaska River There are concerns this will form a barrier forcing more water into the town Moment porwania przez nurt mostu w Głuchołazach. #powódz pic.twitter.com/YyBBKRzO42 — Mischa von Jadczak (@michaljadczak) September 15, 2024 the city said the water level had reached 372cm The level classified as an emergency is 520cm have also seen flooding today following heavy overnight rain the Iłownica River reached a water level of 634 cm Main image credit: Jakub Wlodek / Agencja Wyborcza.pl Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland He has written on Polish affairs for a wide range of publications , , Karol Nawrocki even suggested that the state security services were involved in creating the scandal , , The 1,200 square metre national symbol was unfurled on the beach in Międzyzdroje , , The proportion of Poles saying the US has a positive influence on the world has also fallen to its lowest recorded level Apr 30, 2025 | , , , That response will include “large Polish and NATO exercises in Poland” Apr 29, 2025 | , , , Those employed in Poland work on average the third-longest hours in the European Union Apr 28, 2025 | , , , , Westinghouse and Bechtel were first chosen in 2022 as partners on the 192 billion zloty ($51 billion) project please consider helping us to continue and expand it [email protected] Copyright © 2025 Notes From Poland | Design jurko studio | Code by 2sides.pl Senior Research Fellow at the Global Europe Centre ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Weronika Strzyżyńska is currently studying journalism at Goldsmiths as a Scott Trust Bursary recipient She  has written on issues immigration and Brexit for New Statesman and Prospect Agnieszka Wądołowska is managing editor of Notes from Poland She has previously worked for Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Daniel Tilles is editor-in-chief of Notes from Poland and assistant professor of history at the Pedagogical University of Krakow The Independent and Dziennik Gazeta Prawna ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Stanley Bill is the founder and editor-at-large of Notes from Poland.He is also Senior Lecturer in Polish Studies and Director of the Polish Studies Programme at the University of Cambridge Stanley has spent more than ten years living in Poland He founded Notes from Poland in 2014 as a blog dedicated to personal impressions cultural analysis and political commentary He is committed to the promotion of deeper knowledge and understanding of Poland He is the Chair of the Board of the Notes from Poland Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor of European Studies at Oxford University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Professor at the Institute of History of the Jagiellonian University ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Executive Director of Taube Family Foundation ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Associate Professor at the Institute of Political Studies of the Polish Academy of Science ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR ARTICLES BY THIS AUTHOR Poland and Austria fear worst may yet be to come as thousands are evacuated to higher ground The death toll from torrential rain and flooding in central and eastern Europe has risen to at least 16, with several more people missing, as authorities reported deaths in the Czech Republic Poland and Austria and warned the worst may be to come The number of victims in Poland rose to five after a surgeon returning from work drowned in the south-western town of Nysa where the hospital was evacuated and patients rescued by raft Four more people had died in the southern towns of Bielsko-Biała and Lądek-Zdrój In Austria, local media reported that two men aged 70 and 80 drowned after being trapped by rising flood water in their homes in the towns of Böheimkirchen and Sierndorf, both in the hard-hit north-eastern state of Lower Austria. told local radio a woman had drowned in a stream that overflowed its banks near Bruntál a town of about 15,000 people in the north-east of the country while seven more people were still unaccounted for knocked out electricity and in some places submerged whole neighbourhoods “I have lived here for 16 years and I have never seen such flooding,” one Austrian woman 1:15People evacuated via helicopters after catastrophic flooding in central Europe – videoSeven people died in Romania over the weekend as well as one in Poland and a firefighter in Austria The rain was expected to ease in many areas on Monday but with some rivers unlikely to reach peak water levels for days several major cities were preparing for potentially disastrous flooding Extreme rainfall is becoming more common and more intense because of human-caused climate breakdown across most of the world, particularly in Europe Poland’s prime minister, Donald Tusk declared a state of emergency in the flooded areas and announced an emergency aid fund of 1bn zlotys (£200m) cancelled all his international engagements Flooding damage in Vápenná in north-east Czech Republic Photograph: Action Press/Rex/ShutterstockTusk said he was in touch with the leaders of other affected countries and that they would ask the EU for financial help losses linked to the flood – will be able to easily [claim funds],” he said More than 2,600 people were evacuated across Poland in the last 24 hours Standing in the town square of Lądek-Zdrój in south-western Poland described the destruction as “unimaginable … It’s a city like in an apocalypse… It’s a ghost town.” He added: “It literally ripped out everything because we don’t have a single bridge We are practically cut off from the world.” described images from the flooded areas in Austria Romania and Poland as “dramatic” and said Germany was “deeply saddened by the news of dead and missing people” and ready to help 1:19Torrential rain and flooding hits central and eastern Europe – video reportHungary’s capital was bracing for severe flooding as the Danube rose said efforts were focused on keeping the river and its tributaries within their banks and said up to 12,000 soldiers were on standby while the 600,000 residents of Wrocław in Poland were told water levels might not peak before Wednesday said the situation in his country “continues to worsen” Free weekly newsletterThe planet's most important stories Get all the week's environment news - the good More than 10,000 relief workers had evacuated 1,100 houses in the state said people there were facing “difficult and dramatic hours … probably the most difficult hours of their lives” was completely cut off from the outside world So far 12 dams had broken and thousands of households were without electricity and water It stays dramatic.” She said there there was a high risk of more dams breaking and it was as yet too early to assess the scale of the damage urged people to “follow the instructions of mayors and firefighters” emergency services had dealt with 7,884 incidents and 119,000 households were without power At least 12,000 people had been evacuated from their homes across the country adding that although the rain had stopped in the most affected areas the situation would become critical for others as the storm moves westwards and rivers continue to rise Read moreThe rising Morava River put about 70% of the Czech city of Litovel shutting down schools and health facilities a power plant supplying heat and hot water was forced to shut down Thousands were evacuated from their homes in Krnov and Český Těšín up to 10,000 people out of a population of about 56,000 were asked to move to higher ground saying the situation was worse than during devastating floods in 1997 said the country would “clean up and see what can be salvaged” adding that compared with the worst recent flooding in 2013 “the amount of water was almost three times bigger” One resident of the Romanian village of Pechea told Agence France-Presse: “The water came into the house The climate emergency is causing more incidents of extreme rainfall because warmer air can hold more water vapour. Flooding has most likely become more frequent and severe as a result, but other human factors, such as flood defence planning and land use, are also important. Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world 2024 at 2:47 AM EDTBookmarkSavePoland will outline a complex reconstruction plan for the regions affected by the flood after the water subsides Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Tuesday The program will include the funds secured from the state budget as well as from the European Union The plan is set to address the needs of residents to rebuild their lost properties and help municipalities to rebuild damaged infrastructure standing in the town square of Ladek Zdroj described losses from the floods as "unimaginable.""It's a city like in an apocalypse.. It's a ghost town," he said.Reuters footage showed the town strewn with debris and mud It ripped out everything because we don't have a single bridge We are practically cut off from the world," Jerzy Adamczyk a Czech town across the border that was inundated on Sunday a clean-up started after waters receded to show damaged cars and debris on the streets."There were two meters of water that ran through the street.. many destroyed cars," said resident Zdenek Kuzilek "Telephones are not working; there is no water where villages and towns were submerged over the weekend told Romanian television that some people had been left with only their clothes on.Bracing for the floodWhile water receded in some areas were strengthening their defenses against floodwaters.In Romania the flooding killed seven people over the last few days In the state of Lower Austria that surrounds Vienna two men aged 70 and 80 were found drowned in their homes a police spokesperson said on Monday.Polish police said four people died as a result of floods in Poland were both preparing for possible flooding as the River Danube rose.Hungarian Interior Minister Sandor Pinter said efforts were focused on keeping the river and its tributaries within their banks and said up to 12,000 soldiers were on standby to help.In Austria river and reservoir levels fell overnight as rain eased but officials said they were bracing for a second wave as heavier rain was expected The Environment and Climate Change portal is produced in cooperation with the Goldman Sonnenfeldt School of Sustainability and Climate Change at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev The Jerusalem Post maintains all editorial decisions related to the content Despite improvements in Poland's weather and water levels emergency conditions persist in many rivers especially in the southwestern part of the country This has led the Polish government to expand the state of disaster and launch a recovery plan The flood has also impacted the arts sector causing delays and cancellations of concerts and other events The damage from the flood has particularly affected the area where one of Poland's most renowned authors The Nobel laureate has voiced her concerns and issued a special appeal through social media and many other towns need help," Tokarczuk stated referring to the southwestern regions of Poland that are close to her due to her residence She requested financial and material support for the flood victims and urged people to show interest by providing helpful information "This tragic time calls for your solidarity," Tokarczuk emphasized providing details on account numbers where her fans and readers from around the world can donate "As a resident of the Kłodzko County who was fortunate to escape the worst of the disaster but who has only recently become fully aware of the extent of the damage due to power outages and lack of information I am grateful for any form of support," concluded Tokarczuk The following graphic illustrates the extent of the damage caused by the flood in Kłodzko with a similar devastating flood occurring there 27 years ago in 1997 Devastating scenes from Kłodzko, Poland, where yesterday's flood left a trail of destruction.#powodź2024 #Powodź #Kłodzko pic.twitter.com/Y931NNpYuQ Source: FB/Olga Tokarczuk/X/@Weathermonitors One person drowned and 1,600 people were evacuated in Klodzko county in southwest Poland as local rivers broke record high levels causing flooding in several municipalities after days of heavy rainfall it's most dramatic in Klodzko county," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters on Sunday after meeting with the crisis management team in Klodzko town Some 17,000 households in the county were left without power and mobile connections were not available in some areas Road access to the towns of Ladek Zdroj and Stronie Slaskie was practically cut off was partly under water as the local river rose to 665 cm and surpassing a record seen in heavy flooding in 1997 which partly damaged the town and claimed 56 lives in Poland "I'm calling for residents to cooperate with rescue services where calls for evacuation are issued," Tusk said the mayor ordered compulsory evacuation on Sunday morning as the local river started overflowing the banks local authorities and soldiers have been fighting since Saturday to protect a bridge in the town putting cobble stones on top of the construction to make it heavier and more resilient Firefighters have been working in south-western Poland since the start of the weekend to help contain the flooding More rain is forecast for Sunday and Monday Our fact checking systematically raises standards in public debate and changes the behaviour of powerful actors We’re campaigning to tackle bad information online protect our elections and improve the quality of information in public debate Our policy work aims to improve the information environment in order to protect and encourage good public debate We’re a team of independent fact checkers and campaigners who find A video compilation shows the damage caused by the recent floods in Spain Most of the footage appeared online before the floods in Spain and was likely filmed in Poland A compilation video claiming to show flood damage in Spain actually shows older footage of floods The video has been widely shared on Facebook with a caption listing various cities and counties in Spain: “Flooding in Barcelona catalonia Valencia almeria Valencia spain amposta montsia catalonia Tarragona Espagne Espana today [sic].” More than 220 people were killed in floods in Spain at the end of October, but the footage being shared is unrelated to this. Instead the clips appear to show the damage caused by Storm Boris Using Google Lens Full Fact traced four of the five clips in the compilation back to videos posted before the floods in Spain, with captions linking them to Poland. The first, which shows cars being swept away by flooding, was posted to the Instagram page of a North Macedonian news website with a caption which says it shows flooding in Lądek-Zdrój The version in the compilation has been horizontally flipped—which can be seen with the backwards parking sign The second clip, which shows flooded cars and debris floating past a yellow house was posted on TikTok on 20 September and is again captioned as being in Lądek-Zdrój The third clip of floodwaters rushing past a partially destroyed building was posted on TikTok on 24 September, again before the floods in Spain. The TikTok caption claims it shows the Polish town of Stronie Śląskie which was badly hit by the flooding in September The fourth video in the compilation, posted to TikTok on 15 September, includes the hashtag Głuchołazy, which was one of the Polish towns affected by the September storm Google Translate also identified the text in the video as Polish and translated it as: “Thousands of people are losing their belongings” Full Fact was not able to trace the last clip in the compilation Misleading images and videos are a common form of misinformation we see circulating online during breaking news events We have created a guide with advice about how to verify that the videos you are seeing on social media show what they claim to The evening meeting of the crisis centre in Wrocław was once again chaired by Prime Minister Donald Tusk The Prime Minister stressed that all officials responsible for allocating aid and funding have the duty to make life easier for citizens He also noted the outpouring of support for the authorities protecting cities and towns Crisis management is now in place in Stronie Śląskie and Lądek-Zdrój The flood relief operation is underway in a number of affected cities and towns At the outset of the crisis centre meeting Prime Minister Donald Tusk thanked the authorities for their readiness “I am pleased to say that after the stressful meetings of the last few hours after meeting people who were expecting to be taken care of we are getting to them as quickly as possible,” Deputy Prime Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz noted that there were 700 soldiers in Lądek-Zdrój 500 in Kłodzko itself and 180 in the Kłodzko area 16,000 soldiers are expected to be active in the affected areas in the morning to assist with securing the embankments and evacuating residents Prime Minister Donald Tusk also urged people to keep off the waterlogged embankments the Prime Minister pointed out the outpouring of support among the general public thousands of people decided to help the authorities on their own accord supporting the efforts to protect their cities and towns local government officials were urged to make it easier for construction assessment experts to reach sites that require immediate checks We need to understand as quickly as possible what can be renovated and what needs to be rebuilt That is not all - we need to provide housing and makeshift shelters as well,” the officials in charge of disbursing funds have the duty to make life easier for residents “All officials have the duty to help people with filling in the assistance request forms to enable them to get their 10 000 PLN subsidy as quickly as possible the work of the officials responsible for disbursing funds will be supervised Following the recommendation by Prime Minister Donald Tusk Minister of the Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak decided to suspend some of the powers of the mayors of Stronie Śląskie and Lądek-Zdrój “This is connected with crisis management and relief operations I have appointed Superintendent Michał Kamieniecki to carry out these duties This decision was taken to protect the interests of the residents as Stronie Śląskie and Lądek-Zdrój require good coordination of all authorities “We also need to make the municipal authorities more efficient I urge all officials and employees of the two municipalities to follow Mr as he is there to make sure that people get the help they need,” The mayors of Stronie Śląskie and Lądek-Zdrój will go back to their normal duties when the crisis situation in their cities is brought under control The next briefing concerning the flood will take place on Thursday at 7:00 a.m