Water levels in the Danube River are expected to rise slowly by 50 centimeters by the evening of September 21, as Hungary and other Central European countries deal with the aftermath of a severe rainstorm that has hit the region.
Istvan Lang, director of the water management agency in Hungary, announced yesterday that the burden on the team monitoring the floods will be significant. “This is a very large flood, it will cause a lot of stress,” he stated on Hungarian national television.
Ferry services on the Danube in Hungary have been suspended, and the water is likely to reach tram and metro lines.
Lang noted that the flooding from the rain will last longer than initially expected. “The water level in the Danube is falling more slowly than predicted due to the large amount of rain that fell in Germany after the outbreak of Cyclone Boris,” he added.
Lang stated that areas south of Budapest will mostly be safe from flooding due to significant improvements in infrastructure made in the region following a catastrophic flood in 1956, and the country’s levees are in very good condition.
Zoltan Gora, the national director for disaster prevention in Hungary, confirmed that Budapest is protected up to a water level of nine meters. Forecasts indicate that the water will reach 8.5 meters or lower.
Water authorities in the capital also assured residents that the supply of drinking water will remain secure.
Flood protection measures are also in place along parts of the Danube in Serbia, as reported by the water management authority in the northern region of Vojvodina on September 20. Regular flood protection measures have been implemented along over 253 kilometers of the river, including sections of the Danube from the state border with Hungary to the Kovilj area east of Novi Sad, as well as in the structures of a hydropower system and in rural areas.
The Vojvodina water management authority stated that forecasts from the Hydrometeorological Institute of Serbia indicate that water levels in the Danube will rise in the coming days.
In Romania, where floodwaters have already caused significant damage, authorities reported that the latest figures indicate that six people have died due to flooding. In over 24 municipalities in eastern Romania, more than 20,000 residents have been affected by the floodwaters, reports REL.