1. Skip to content
  2. Skip to main menu
  3. Skip to more DW sites

Europe floods: Parts of Vienna without power as river rises

Published September 15, 2024last updated September 16, 2024

A dam overflowed in southern Poland and several districts of Vienna were left without power amid heavy rainfall and flooding across Europe. Meanwhile, several people drowned in Romania. DW has the latest.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdRu
High water level of the Biala Ladekka river
Since Friday morning, more rain has fallen in southwest Poland than during the so-called millennium flood of 1997 Image: Maciej Kulczynski/PAP/dpa/picture alliance
Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

  • Several dead reported in Romania as floods hit Europe
  • Three districts of Vienna lose electricity, banks of Wien River partially flooded
  • German state of Saxony braces for flooding, with the Elbe reaching 5.59 meters (16 feet)
  • Czech police look for missing people after car falls into river

These live updates are now closed. Please visit our Monday blog for the latest on floods in Europe.

Skip next section At least 6 dead in Romania, 1 in Poland and in Austria
September 16, 2024

At least 6 dead in Romania, 1 in Poland and in Austria

A view of the flooded streets in Glucholazy, southern Poland.
A view of the flooded streets in Glucholazy, southern PolandImage: Sergei Gapon/AFP/Getty Images

The known death toll from flooding in Europe has risen to eight as torrential rains from Storm Boris, or "Anett" as it's known in German, battered central and eastern regions of the continent. 

On Sunday, the bodies of two more people were found in Romania, where floods had claimed four lives a day before. One person was reported missing. 

One person drowned in southwestern Poland and in Austria a fireman died while responding to the floods.

Authorities in the Czech Republic said that four people who were swept away by high waters were missing. 

Forecasters have warned of more rain and strong winds until at least Monday. Meanwhile, Romania saw the rain ease on Sunday. 

https://p.dw.com/p/4keLb
Skip next section Krnov in the Czech Republic almost completely under water
September 15, 2024

Krnov in the Czech Republic almost completely under water

The Czech town of Krnov has been almost completely flooded. Deputy Mayor Miroslav Binar told the CTK agency that an estimated 70% to 80% of the town is under water. 

The Opava and Opavice rivers meet in Krnov, which is located about 240 kilometers (150 miles) east of Prague and has a population of just under 23,000. 

According to Binar, it is now too late to evacuate the inhabitants of Krnov and the situation is worse than during the 1997 flood disaster. 

Helicopters were used to rescue people in distress from the air. The situation was also critical in many other places in the east of the country, such as the cities of Opava and Ostrava. 

Meanwhile, Czech President Petr Pavel has appealed for donations to help the flood victims. In a post on X, he noted that the worst-affected areas, such as around Jesenik in the and Frydlant, are also some of the poorest regions in the country.

The government will meet in Prague on Monday to decide on extraordinary financial aid for those affected. 

.

https://p.dw.com/p/4ke6q
Skip next section River overflows, flooding streets and homes in Vienna
September 15, 2024

River overflows, flooding streets and homes in Vienna

The water level of the Wien River in the western part of Vienna rose from 50 centimeters to 2.26 meters in the course of a day, emergency officials said.

Hiking and biking trails are flooded, and restaurant terraces along the river's banks are under water. 

In the suburb of Penzing, northwest of Vienna, the Wien River also overflowed its banks in some places. Homes were evacuated, while streets and an underground parking garage were under water. 

Electricity was cut off in three districts of Vienna. The power company promised to restore service as soon as possible. Two subway lines in Vienna were partially closed.

https://p.dw.com/p/4ke5t
Skip next section Heavy rains cause dam to fail in southwestern Poland
September 15, 2024

Heavy rains cause dam to fail in southwestern Poland

A dam in southwestern Poland has burst after heavy rains, officials said. The dam in Stronie Slaskie, in the Lower Silesia region, gave way and water from the Biala Ladecka River is now flowing freely into the Nysa Klodzka catchment area, a meteorological network said. 

The town of Stronie Slaskie is located in the Klodzko Valley on Poland's border with the Czech Republic. Police have sent a rescue helicopter to the area to bring people stranded by the water to safety. Army soldiers are also on the scene. 

On Saturday evening, a dam burst in the nearby mountain village of Miedzygorze. 

Storm Boris lashes large parts of Central, Eastern Europe

https://p.dw.com/p/4ke6o
Skip next section Elbe River levels rise in east of Germany
September 15, 2024

Elbe River levels rise in east of Germany

Germany's eastern state of Saxony is bracing for flooding as Germany's Central European neighbors battle rain and rising water levels. 

State officials said the Elbe River at Schöna, near the border with the Czech Republic, was expected to crest at 7.50 meters (23 feet) on Tuesday afternoon. That will be enough to trigger the highest alert level in the area.

The Elbe has already reached 5.59 meters (16 feet) at Schöna, over three times its usual average of 1.58 meters (4 feet). It is expected to reach 6 meters by Sunday evening. 

If the water rises enough to trigger the highest alarm level, dams could overflow or break, authorities said.

The state capital, Dresden, is on the Elbe. Its historic center will be protected from rising water levels by mobile barriers that will be set up on Monday. 

Authorities in Dresden were also racing to complete the removal of parts of a bridge that collapsed into the Elbe River on Wednesday ahead of expected flooding. Initial demolition work was completed on Saturday, the city's environmental agency said.

https://p.dw.com/p/4ke5Q
Skip next section Budapest preparing for 'one of the biggest floods of the past years'
September 15, 2024

Budapest preparing for 'one of the biggest floods of the past years'

Officials in Hungary's capital, Budapest, said that the Danube is expected to rise to above 8.5 meters (27.9 feet).

This would bring the water level close to the record 8.91 meters that were registered in 2013.

"According to forecasts, one of the biggest floods of the past years is approaching Budapest but we are prepared to tackle it," Budapest Mayor Gergely Karacsony said.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdzG
Skip next section Czech police search for missing people after car falls into river
September 15, 2024

Czech police search for missing people after car falls into river

Czech police said they were looking for three missing people who were in a car that fell into the river Staric on Saturday near the village of Lipova-lazne in the eastern Czech Republic.

The village and the nearby town of Jesenik have been some of the worst hit in the flooding affecting the Central European country.

Police and fire services used helicopters to evacuate people from Jesenik district. The head of the service told Czech television that over 10,000 people had been evacuated.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdzF
Skip next section Romania storm death toll climbs to five
September 15, 2024

Romania storm death toll climbs to five

A fifth person has died in Romania as a storm swept across eastern and central Europe, emergency services said.

"Another deceased victim has been identified, bringing the total number of deceased to five," rescuers said in a statement. "Four people had previously been found dead in the same region of Galati, in the country's southeast."

On Saturday, four bodies were found in the worst-hit region of Galati, where 5,000 homes were damaged.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdke
Skip next section Poland-Czech train connection disrupted by flooding
September 15, 2024

Poland-Czech train connection disrupted by flooding

Polish rail operator PKP has suspended train services to the neighboring Czech Republic due to severe flooding. 

Trains from the Czech Republic to Poland have been canceled until further notice, the state-owned company said. 

Trains from Poland to the Czech Republic will stop at the last station before the border. 

Both southwestern Poland and large parts of the Czech Republic have been affected by flooding following heavy rainfall.

Czech Republic hit by flooding, rain predicted to continue

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdia
Skip next section Austrian firefighter killed in floods
September 15, 2024

Austrian firefighter killed in floods

A firefighter battling flooding in Lower Austria was killed, Austrian Vice Chancellor Werner Kogler said on social media platform X, as authorities declared the northeastern state, which surrounds Vienna and borders the Czech Republic and Slovakia, a disaster area.

The firefighter was pumping water from a cellar when he died, the state's crisis management team said. 

In parts of Austria, the landscape has 'turned into a lakescape'

"We are experiencing difficult and dramatic hours in Lower Austria," said state Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner.

"For many people in Lower Austria, these will be the hardest hours of their lives," she added. "We will do everything we can to hold back the water and protect the country and its people."

Emergency crews responded to nearly 5,000 calls overnight in the state of Lower Austria, where flooding left many residents stranded in their homes. 

The Wien river, which runs through Vienna, was flowing fast and high on Sunday, but its meter-high walls were still holding in most places. 

Vienna's subway system was disrupted, and Austrian rail operator ÖBB suspended train service on a line south of the Danube. 

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdiJ
Skip next section Floods in southwestern Poland cause one death, force evacuations
September 15, 2024

Floods in southwestern Poland cause one death, force evacuations

One person drowned and 1,600 people were evacuated in the Klodzko district of southwestern Poland as local rivers rose to record levels after days of heavy rainfall.

"The situation is very dramatic, it's most dramatic in Klodzko county," Prime Minister Donald Tusk told reporters on Sunday after meeting with the crisis management team in the town of Klodzko.

Some 17,000 households in the district were left without power, and cellphone service was down in some areas. Road access to the towns of Ladek Zdroj and Stronie Slaskie was virtually cut off, Tusk said.

Klodzko, a town of 25,000, was partially submerged as the local river rose nearly 7 meters (about 22 feet), well above the alert level of 240 and surpassing a record set during heavy flooding in 1997 that partially damaged the town and claimed 56 lives in Poland.

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdc4
Skip next section Lower Austria declared disaster zone
September 15, 2024

Lower Austria declared disaster zone

Authorities declared the state of Lower Austria, surrounding Vienna, a disaster zone due to severe flooding from continuous heavy rain on Sunday.

Lower Austria Deputy Governor Stephan Pernkopf warned of "massive floods" and potential landslides in some places, according to the APA news agency, adding that "the situation is worsening due to the massive rainfall across the country." 

Around Vienna, roads are flooded and emergency services had to step in to rescue people trapped in their homes overnight. 

One person was rescued from floodwaters of the Pielach River, west of Vienna.

Several municipalities issued evacuation orders, with rubber dinghies pressed into use.

In Vienna, parts of the underground lines were suspended.
 

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdc3
Skip next section Dam overflows in southwest Poland
September 15, 2024

Dam overflows in southwest Poland

High water lever on the river Bialka
Krakow in Poland was hit hard, with residents being evacuated and public transport disruptedImage: Agencja Wyborcza.pl/REUTERS

A dam in southwest Poland overflowed late Saturday after heavy rainfall as flooding continued to devastate Central Europe amid historic extreme weather

Despite efforts to drain water and prevent the surge the dam in Międzygórze overflowed, leading to evacuations from nearby villages. 

The dam, built in the early 20th century, is near the Czech border.

Since Friday morning, southwest Poland has received more rain than during the 1997 millennium flood, with alert levels surpassed at 47 gauging stations nationwide.
 

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdUt
Skip next section Heavy rainfall devastates Central Europe
September 15, 2024

Heavy rainfall devastates Central Europe

Emergency responders in the Czech Republic, Poland, and Austria struggled to manage rising waters even as Romania reported four flood-related deaths on Saturday amid unprecedented heavy rainfall. 

Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, southern Germany and parts of Austria are expected to see more heavy rain.

Some areas in Austria have been declared disaster zones and residents evacuated from there.

In Czech Republic, the north-western administrative region of Usti nad Labem bordering Germany is worst affected, with more than 20,000 households without power. The highest flood alert level has been issued in approximately 35 locations across the Czech Republic. Authorities also suspended all shipping traffic.

Krakow in Poland was hit hard, with residents being evacuated and public transport disrupted.

On Friday, when authorities appealed to residents to stock up on supplies, Polish Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak had warned that "the worst is yet to come."

Central Europe braces for heavy rain and flooding


ss/dj (AP, Reuters, dpa)

https://p.dw.com/p/4kdT1