In Poland, the authorities are preparing for extreme rainfall, high water and flooding in the coming days. The highest alert level 3 applies to the Lower Silesian, Silesian and Opole voivodeships due to the expected persistent rain, the Meteorological Institute (IMGW) announced. In the city of Wroclaw, Mayor Jacek Sutryk called together the crisis team because the Oder is expected to flood. Two festivals planned for the weekend have been postponed as a precautionary measure.
During the Oder floods in 1997, a third of the city of Wroclaw was flooded. The city has now emptied the reservoirs built afterward as a precautionary measure so that they can absorb large amounts of water, said Mayor Sutryk.
The head of the Lower Silesia regional administration, Maciej Awizen, called on citizens to prepare for the emergency. People should charge their mobile phones and, if necessary, have transistor radios ready so that they can follow the authorities’ instructions, he recommended. It is also advisable to have food and water supplies in the house.
City distributes sandbags to citizens
The Meteorological Institute warned of a rapid and dangerous rise in water levels in the rivers. “Despite the current low water levels and drought warnings, the intense rainfall will not have the opportunity to seep deep into the ground in a relatively short time, so the water masses will flow away on the surface,” it said. In addition, it is expected that in many places the urban sewage systems will not be able to absorb the volumes of rainwater, which is why there is a risk of flooding. In the district town of Ostrow Wielkopolskie, which was recently affected by flooding, the local authorities distributed sandbags to citizens so that they could protect their homes.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240912-930-230710/1
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