Jesenik in Czech Republic inundated and isolated by raging floodwaters turning roads into rivers

(15 Sep 2024)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jesenik - 15 September 2024
1. Various of flooded soccer field
2. Various of floodwaters gushing throughout town
3. Wide of residents looking at floodwater and debris
4. SOUNDBITE (Czech) name unavailable, resident:
"We are waiting here whether the bridge survives or not. If it elevates then the water will inundate all the area."
5. Various of floodwater gushing through damaged house
6. SOUNDBITE (Czech) name unavailable, resident:
"The only luck here is that according to the weather forecast it might stop raining and the river might recede."
7. Close of debris
8. Various of floodwater, debris floating
9. Residents shovelling sand from play pit into bag
10. Various of flooded streets, cars trapped
11. Emergency workers walking through flooded street
12. Emergency worker assisting residents
13. Emergency workers entering fire engine, driving through floodwater
STORYLINE:
The town of Jesenik in the Czech Republic was inundated by raging floodwaters on Sunday, turning roads into rivers.

Another night of torrential rains pounding Central Europe forced massive evacuations in the hardest hit areas in the Czech Republic, where floods reached extreme levels on Sunday.

Meteorologists have warned the situation still might get worse as waters in most rivers are rising, the flood wave made its way through the country and more heavy rains could return overnight.

Authorities declared the highest flood warnings in almost 90 places across the country and in two northeastern regions that recorded the biggest rainfall in recent days, including the Jeseniky mountains near the Polish border.

“There’s no reason to wait,” Mayor Tomáš Navrátil told the Czech public radio. He said the situation was worse than during the last devastating floods in 1997, known as the “flood of the century.”

“We have to focus on saving lives,” Prime Minister Petr Fiala told the Czech public television Sunday. His government was to possibly meet Monday to assess the damages.

Towns and villages in the Jeseniky mountains, including the local centre of Jesenik, were inundated and isolated by raging waters that turned roads into rivers. The military sent a helicopter to help with evacuations.

Four people who were swept away by waters were missing, police said.

About 260-thousand households were without power Sunday morning in the entire country while traffic was halted on many roads, including the major D1 highway.

AP Video shot by: Stanislav Hodina

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