Europe (Washington Insider Magazine) —At least five people have been found dead in eastern Romania after torrential storms unleashed unprecedented rainfall, leaving hundreds stranded in flooded regions. Emergency authorities reported the tragic incident on Saturday.
Rescue operations are ongoing in the severely affected eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui. The bodies of three older women and one man were recovered from four localities, according to the Department for Emergency Situations.
Video footage released by emergency authorities shows rescue teams evacuating individuals using small lifeboats through muddy waters, while others were carried to safety. The worst flooding occurred in Galati, impacting around 5,000 households. A Black Hawk helicopter has also been deployed to aid search and rescue efforts.
The storms wreaked havoc across 19 localities in eight counties, with strong winds toppling trees that damaged vehicles and obstructed roads. Authorities issued text alerts to residents, warning them of adverse weather conditions as emergency services rushed to remove floodwater from homes.
Romanian Environment Minister Mircea Fechet informed the Associated Press that some areas experienced over 160 liters (42 gallons) of rain per square meter, a phenomenon rarely seen.
This severe weather event is not limited to Romania, as several Central European nations— including the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary— brace for potential flooding over the weekend.
In the Czech Republic, river levels have surged dangerously high, prompting the evacuation of hundreds, including patients from a hospital in Brno, the country’s second-largest city. By Saturday evening, authorities had declared the highest flood warnings in more than 70 areas and advised thousands more residents to prepare for possible evacuations as the rain persisted.
Austria has also declared 24 villages in the northeast Lower Austria province as “disaster zones,” initiating evacuations. In Vienna, the Danube River’s water levels have risen sharply, with flood relief channels built in the 1970s and 80s likely to be tested. Additionally, the Kamp River, a tributary of the Danube, is swelling due to the severe weather.
Moldova has not been spared, facing heavy rains that led emergency workers to pump floodwater from homes in several areas. Furthermore, 13 localities in three districts experienced partial electricity outages.
In Poland, precautionary evacuations occurred in two villages near Nysa, in the Nysa River basin, as meteorologists issued warnings of unprecedented rainfall. As storms continue to cause havoc across Eastern Europe, authorities remain on high alert.
