Heavy Rain and Flooding in Several European Countries; Four Dead in Romania

Romanian rescue officials announced that at least four people have died in the eastern part of the country due to heavy rainfall and widespread flooding. Mircea Făc, Romania's Minister of Environment, told the Associated Press on Saturday, September 15, that in some flooded areas of the country, more than 160 liters of rain per square meter have fallen, which he described as a rare occurrence. He emphasized that the only thing that can be done at the moment is to rescue people as much as possible while heading to Galați, one of the flooded areas. Rescue teams in the cities of Galați and Vaslui in eastern Romania are working to save the lives of 95 people severely affected by the floods. Rescue teams are helping individuals using small boats, and a Black Hawk helicopter, one of the most well-known multipurpose helicopters in the world, has also been dispatched to assist in the rescue operations in Galați, where the floods have already caused damage to 5,000 households. According to the Associated Press, the storm has affected 19 regions in eight provinces of Romania, with strong winds causing trees to fall, damaging vehicles, and blocking roads. Currently, it is predicted that severe flooding will affect several Central European countries, including the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary. Meteorologists predict that a low-pressure system from northern Italy will bring heavy rainfall to most areas of the Czech Republic, including the capital and border regions with Austria and Germany to the south and Poland to the north. In the Czech Republic, the government has held a crisis committee meeting, and Prime Minister Petr Fiala has stated that a tough weekend lies ahead, emphasizing the need to prepare for the worst-case scenarios. Reports indicate that on Saturday morning, river water levels in dozens of areas across the Czech Republic reached dangerous levels, flooding homes and roads in several cities and villages. The Czech electricity company ČEZ announced that heavy rain and strong winds have left over 63,000 households without power. In Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic, a hospital has been evacuated, and dozens of citizens have also evacuated their homes in various cities. Additionally, train traffic has been halted on 12 rail lines due to fallen trees or flooding. In Moldova, officials have reported that heavy rain swept across the country on Saturday, and emergency workers have pumped out floodwaters from the homes of dozens of people in several areas. In Poland, following a weather warning about unprecedented rainfall and a significant rise in water levels in some rivers, dozens of people were evacuated on Saturday as a precaution from two villages near the city of Nysa around the Nysa River. However, Minister of the Interior Tomasz Siemoniak warned that 'the worst is yet to come.' Polish officials urged residents on Friday to stock up on food and prepare for power outages by charging power banks. This climate change follows the warm start of September in the region, including Romania. Scientists have recorded summer 2024 as the hottest summer on Earth, with this year's heat breaking the record set a year ago. Heavy rainfall is one of the climate changes resulting from global warming.