Liberec governor: damage from floods could exceed one billion crowns

The governor of the Liberec region has estimated that damage from the flash floods which hit the Czech Republic could exceed one billion crowns (the equivalent of 53.4 million US dollars). The governor, Stanislav Eichler, made the estimate during Sunday afternoon’s visit by Czech President Václav Klaus. Structures which suffered damage include bridges, footbridges and personal homes. Damage to public property in one village, Chrastava, has been estimated at 100 million crowns alone. Meanwhile, several hundred people in flood-hit areas have already begun contacting insurance companies with claims.