Flood Waters Receding

The flooding that began last weekend has now mostly subsided, but parts of the country are still under water. As the rains left Krakow on Friday they moved on to Warsaw, where the flooded Wisła River burst its banks in a nonresidential area of the city, though luckily the damage was minimal and no lives were at risk. However, 12 people throughout Poland lost their lives due to the high water over the week.

Warsaw remains on high alert, which is expected to continue until Tuesday. Near Warsaw, the village of Swiniary experienced severe flooding when the Wisła overflowed its banks. In Wrocław, the Oder River that runs through the city broke its banks in two places, flooding a residential neighbourhood. The Warta River, which runs through the western city of Wrocław, also overflowed its banks. However, the most extensive damages have been reported in smaller villages and towns rather than cities.

According to Polish Defense Ministry spokesman Wiesław Grzegorzewski, about 20,000 people were affected by the flooding in total. 19 army helicopters had been deployed to aid in evacuations, and nearly 4,000 soldiers have helped in the efforts throughout the week.

See also: Slideshow: Flooding in Krakow
Video: Flooding in Krakow