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Czech floods widen, death toll rises to 13
Sun Jun 28, 2009 10:07am EDT Email | Print | Share| Reprints | Single Page[-] Text [+]
* Fresh storms swell rivers in southern Czech Republic
* Death toll rises to 13
* More rain forecast
By Petr Josek
HUSINEC, Czech Republic, June 28 (Reuters) - Heavy rain swept the southern Czech Republic on Sunday causing further flooding and bringing the death toll for the last week to 13, rescue teams and Czech media reported.
Meteorologists said rains would continue into the next week, keeping the east and southwest of the central European country on flood warning until Wednesday.
"The most serious situation now is in the southern Bohemia, there is a state of emergency as of this morning," a spokeswoman for the Czech Fire Rescue Brigade said.
Television images showed collapsed houses, destroyed roads and cars mangled by high and fast-flowing water. Some towns in the south were cut off after swollen rivers flooded roads. Power supplies were cut in some areas.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated.
Around 750 firefighters and hundreds of soldiers were helping rescue and cleanup crews in the regions affected by sudden heavy rainstorms that swelled rivers and creeks within minutes, surprising people in dozens of villages and towns.
Meteorologists said the ground, swollen by previous rains in many areas, could not hold water, and officials warned further rain would quickly raise river levels again.
Reuters witness said people and rescue workers were piling bags of sand to protect against rising water in the flooded areas in the southern Czech Republic.
Early damage estimates already run in the high tens of millions of dollars according to local media reports.
The Czech Republic, a country of 10.5 million, has seen more frequent flooding in recent years.
This week's flooding is the country's worst natural disaster since high water in 2002 killed 17 people and flooded Prague's historic centre.
(Reporting by Jan Korselt)
___________
Flooding also affected Poland, Hungary and Austria.
This week the region has been experiencing very hot weather, thunderstorms and heavy rains, causing some temporary flooding in Warsaw & other areas.
Sun Jun 28, 2009 10:07am EDT Email | Print | Share| Reprints | Single Page[-] Text [+]
* Fresh storms swell rivers in southern Czech Republic
* Death toll rises to 13
* More rain forecast
By Petr Josek
HUSINEC, Czech Republic, June 28 (Reuters) - Heavy rain swept the southern Czech Republic on Sunday causing further flooding and bringing the death toll for the last week to 13, rescue teams and Czech media reported.
Meteorologists said rains would continue into the next week, keeping the east and southwest of the central European country on flood warning until Wednesday.
"The most serious situation now is in the southern Bohemia, there is a state of emergency as of this morning," a spokeswoman for the Czech Fire Rescue Brigade said.
Television images showed collapsed houses, destroyed roads and cars mangled by high and fast-flowing water. Some towns in the south were cut off after swollen rivers flooded roads. Power supplies were cut in some areas.
Hundreds of people have been evacuated.
Around 750 firefighters and hundreds of soldiers were helping rescue and cleanup crews in the regions affected by sudden heavy rainstorms that swelled rivers and creeks within minutes, surprising people in dozens of villages and towns.
Meteorologists said the ground, swollen by previous rains in many areas, could not hold water, and officials warned further rain would quickly raise river levels again.
Reuters witness said people and rescue workers were piling bags of sand to protect against rising water in the flooded areas in the southern Czech Republic.
Early damage estimates already run in the high tens of millions of dollars according to local media reports.
The Czech Republic, a country of 10.5 million, has seen more frequent flooding in recent years.
This week's flooding is the country's worst natural disaster since high water in 2002 killed 17 people and flooded Prague's historic centre.
(Reporting by Jan Korselt)
___________
Flooding also affected Poland, Hungary and Austria.
This week the region has been experiencing very hot weather, thunderstorms and heavy rains, causing some temporary flooding in Warsaw & other areas.