Slovakia's capital hit by biggest floods in 30 years

Bratislava woke to sunny weather on Tuesday morning, a welcome break after days of incessant rain.

It all began last Thursday, when meteorologists at the Slovak Hydrometeorological Institute forecast about 200 millimeters (just under 8 inches) of rainfall for the western part of the country near the Czech Republic on Friday.

"We also had some extreme scenarios that predicted over 300 millimeters, but we always lean towards the most probable scenario, not the most extreme one," said Cyril Siman, one of the state's meteorologists, at a press conference.

In fact, the rainfall recorded in the region was much higher.

Just days before the floods hit the country, Environment Minister Tomas Taraba said at a press conference last week that the Danube River "will not be an issue."

But things turned out very differently: The river peaked at a 30-year high of 970 cm (382 inches) in Bratislava on Tuesday evening.

Some parts of the city were flooded, with Devin, a district close to the Austrian border, completely cut off from the rest of the city due to the flood and a landslide.

Bratislava district cut off

"My grandpa lives there, but thank God his house is on a hill," Michaela, a 32-year-old administrative worker from Bratislava, told DW. "We can't visit him because the only way to get to Devin is by military transport, but we are in touch with him by phone and we know that he's fine."

Other Devin residents were not so lucky: Some were advised to leave their homes and seek shelter in the evacuation center that had been set up in the district.

There are concerns that Devin could have issues with drinking water if the flood damages the relevant infrastructure. So far, however, residents have been told that the tap water is safe to drink.

In the neighboring district of Devinska Nova Ves, 100 people had to be evacuated from their homes.

Flooding outside the capital

But the flood situation is worst in Zahorie, a small region in the west of the country bordering the Czech Republic. Here, the Morava River, which flows south from the Czech Republic to Slovakia, flooded several small towns and villages.

"The situation is critical, we only slept for two hours on Saturday but thanks to help from people and mainly volunteers, we can handle it," Peter Novisedlak, the mayor of Stupava, a small town in Zahorie region, said in a media statement.

"The situation was worst on Sunday when great waves of floods hit us from the Carpathian Mountains. The water from the mountains flooded the main road, the park, the retirement home," the mayor said.

The town has already started work on repairs after the flood.

Flood repairs expected to cost millions

Environment Minister Taraba calculates that flood repairs will cost the country around €20 million. However, the government has yet to receive detailed estimates from the mayors of all affected towns and villages.

The government prides itself on a job well done when fire fighters and other state forces help pump water away in flooded regions or evacuate the citizens in others.

But not all citizens are positive about the role the state has played, pointing to the fact that they had to fill sandbags themselves to protect their property.

Firefighters pump water from flooded streets

"My husband was filling sandbags on Saturday evening while I was making dinner for our kids," says Miroslava who lives in Zohor, a village in Zahorie region.

"It was then that I realized just how scared I was for our home. Nevertheless, we tried to make it look like fun for our boys," she told DW. "We put on rubber boots and borrowed an inflatable boat from our neighbors."

Thankfully, the firefighters were able to pump away the water and Miroslava's house did not get flooded, unlike some of her neighbors' homes.

Like several other villages in the region, Zohor was partly cut off when a main road leading to the capital, which is only 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) away, was flooded.

National gallery flooded

Some of the most important buildings in the capital that are situated near the Danube were also hit by the flood.

Culture Minister Martina Simkovicova announced that the Slovak National Gallery was inundated. Employees had previously worked feverishly to protect the gallery's valuable collection of artworks from the rising water.

The whole first floor of the building that houses the Sports Ministry was also flooded.

Flooding in Bratislava has peaked

"After five days of struggle, the situation in our city is finally calming down," said Bratislava Mayor Matus Vallo on Tuesday evening. "Last night, the Danube peaked at around 970 cm. The anti-flood dikes near the Danube, which are designed to cope with the pressure of a water level of 1,013 cm, held."

"The same applies to the Morava River," continued Vallo. "According to weather forecasts, the water will not rise again and should not cause any additional damage."

Elsewhere in the capital, a mountain stream that flows through the Zelezna studnicka district, a popular recreation area and natural park, burst its banks and caused flooding.

According to the Urban Forests Authority, although the stream's water level is now receding,  the situation remains serious: "There are hundreds of uprooted trees. Some might fall; some will have to be taken down. We are working on cleaning the forest up, but it will take several days," the authority wrote on Facebook.

In the meantime, citizens are advised to postpone walks in nature, since the situation is still critical in some areas.

Bratislava Zoo has also been affected by the flood and is appealing for volunteers to help with the clean-up.

Authorities hope that some of the capital's most famous tourist attractions will reopen this weekend.

Edited by: Aingeal Flanagan