Monday, September 16, 2024 Days of relentless rain have caused severe flooding across central and eastern Europe, disrupting rail services, forcing evacuations, and inflicting damage on homes and infrastructure. The hardest-hit areas on Sunday included southwest Poland, where in Glucholazy, a temporary bridge was swept away, and another under construction was severely damaged as floodwaters surged through the town. In Stronie Slaskie, a dam failure left the town’s 6,000 residents cut off from neighboring areas.
In Austria, flooding risks prompted the suspension of rail traffic on a major line between Vienna and Salzburg, and several subway services in Vienna were also disrupted. Trains were halted between Amstetten and St. Valentin on the high-speed Weststrecke line, which handles about a third of Austria’s rail traffic and connects Germany with eastern Europe.
The Czech Republic also faced extensive rail closures, with around 40 lines shut down by Sunday. Passenger services between Poland and the Czech Republic were suspended indefinitely, according to Poland’s PKP Intercity. The devastating downpours have led to flash floods across Romania, Poland, and Austria, with fatalities reported in each country, including a firefighter in Austria.
In Romania, two people remain missing, Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu confirmed. The low-pressure system over the Balkan region continued to dump heavy rainfall on Sunday, particularly in Austria’s northern and central regio.