Austria declares northeastern province disaster area as death toll from flooding in Europe rises to 7

By Timo Kirez

GENEVA (AA) – Austrian authorities on Sunday declared the northeastern province of Lower Austria a disaster area, where one firefighter was killed, while one fatality each in Poland and Romania was reported, bringing the total death toll from heavy rain and flooding caused by Storm Boris in central and eastern Europe reaching seven.

Lower Austria has been declared a disaster area due to the flooding situation, Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner said at a press conference in Sank-Polten on Sunday morning, adding that "the situation continues to worsen due to the massive rainfall throughout the country."

“We are dealing with an unprecedented extreme situation,” the provincial governor said.

The Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics (ZAMG) has forecasted another 60 liters of rain per square meter in the coming hours, with more flooding expected across the country.

Mikl-Leitner confirmed the death of a firefighter during a flood operation in Lower Austria. "We deeply mourn with his family," the governor stated, without providing any additional information about the accident.

“We are experiencing difficult, dramatic times in Lower Austria. For many, these will probably be the most difficult hours of their lives,” she added.

Since Friday, water levels in several Austrian rivers have risen dramatically. Lower Austria is experiencing the most severe conditions, where according to local authorities, numerous streams have already burst their banks as a result of the heavy rain.

The fire department in some municipalities in Lower Austria north of Vienna reported that they had to rescue trapped people from their homes overnight between Friday and Saturday.

The fire department also mentioned that they were sometimes using rubber dinghies.

Residents living on riverfront streets were asked to leave their homes in several municipalities.

Lower Austria's designation as a disaster area grants local authorities additional powers, such as ordering evacuations. Two subway lines in Vienna were partially shut down as a precaution.

The situation is particularly precarious along the Kamp and Krems rivers, which flow into the Danube.

Austrian energy supplier EVN explained that the Ottenstein reservoir on the Kamp, which is already nearly full, could overflow during the day. This would cause the river's lower reaches to swell dramatically once more, according to EVN.

Meanwhile, Poland has reported its first fatality from flooding.

According to a local police spokesperson, the deceased was a man who died in the village of Krosnovice, near Klodzko, a historic town in the southwest region of Lower Silesia. The police said they were unable to recover the body because the village was flooded.

Klodzko, a small town of 26,000 people, is located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) south of Breslau (Wroclaw) on the Eastern Neisse, an Oder tributary.

The situation there worsened during the night. In the morning, the water level of the Eastern Neisse was 6.65 meters deep. A spokesman for the local fire department told local media that an average water level of one meter is normal.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk reiterated his call to the public to take the authorities' evacuation orders seriously and go to the nearest safe places on time.

“The situation is dramatic in many places,” said Tusk.

Due to the floods, the Polish railroad company PKP has suspended train services to the neighboring Czech Republic. The state-owned company announced on X that intercity trains from the Czech Republic to Poland would be canceled until further notice.

Trains from Poland have been stopped at the last station before reaching the Czech Republic's border.

Meanwhile, the Czech Republic is also experiencing high levels of flooding where at least four people are still missing, according to local media reports.

In Opava and other towns on the border with Poland, thousands of people were evacuated from their homes to safety. Entire settlements are under water. A mudslide cut off the mountain town of Mala Upa from the outside world.

In the southwest of the Czech Republic, the Husinec dam in the foothills of the Bohemian Forest overflowed due to the floods. The highest flood level was reached on the Elbe in Litomerice.

More than 250,000 households across the country are without power. Due to the softened ground, numerous trees had fallen onto power lines.

Meanwhile, the death toll from heavy flooding in Romania increased to five, with another casualty reported on Sunday.

According to Romanian news agency Mediafax, the number of deaths in Romania has increased to five, with casualties reported from Pechea, Draguseni, Costache Negri, and Slobozia Conachi. However, the news agency did not provide any further information.

Earlier on Saturday, the local disaster relief organization reported four deaths in Galati and Vaslui counties, with approximately 5,000 houses damaged in the country's worst-affected region.