• 09/17/2024

    On Tuesday, flood alerts in Czechia have reduced, with around 160 locations under flood warnings in the morning, 20 fewer than at midnight. The water has mostly shifted from upper to mid and lower river basins, with high flood levels persisting in southern Bohemia and on rivers like the Odra, Opava, Dyje, Morava, and Labe. In Bohumín, the Odra is receding from its highest flood level, while the Opava remains at critical levels. Despite some improvements, large parts of the country, including Moravia and Silesia, continue to suffer from severe flooding, which has claimed three lives and left others missing.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/17/2024

    More than 500 prisoners have joined efforts to combat the ongoing floods. Their work ranges from clearing debris near Ruzyně prison in Prague to helping clean up Jablonec nad Nisou and setting up protections at Olomouc’s Sigma football stadium. Inmates are also prepared to assist in flood-affected areas. The Prison Service, which has not faced any direct threats to its facilities, remains ready with up to 800 prisoners and hundreds of staff on standby. The Prison Service has also launched a voluntary donation drive to support flood-affected communities, according to spokesperson Markéta Prunerová.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/17/2024

    Postponing the upcoming regional and Senate elections would be unfeasible without declaring a state of emergency and changing the law, according to Chamber of Deputies speaker Markéta Pekarová Adamová (TOP 09 Party). She warned that such a move would create legal complications and undermine the legitimacy of the elections. The Ministry of the Interior assured that it will take all necessary measures to ensure smooth voting in flood-affected areas, maintaining the legitimacy of the elections.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/17/2024

    The Czech crown jewels are now on display in the Vladislav Hall at Prague Castle until the end of September. This year’s exhibition, titled "The Mysterious Power of Stones," includes a holographic animation showing the gemstones on the crown at the time of Charles IV’s coronation in 1347. Visitors can view the jewels for free, though no tickets or reservations are available in advance. The exhibit also features the royal scepter, orb, and other regalia. President Petr Pavel has made the display an annual event to celebrate the feast of St. Wenceslas on September 28.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/17/2024

    The government has approved the deployment of soldiers and equipment in the flood-hit areas of the Czech Republic. Up to 2,000 soldiers may be called up to join the clean-up effort from September 17 to October 31, Defence Minister Jana Černochová said on the social network X late on Monday. Seven army helicopters have been helping with the floods so far, while engineers from the 153rd Battalion in Olomouc have been assisting the effort on the ground. “The task of the Czech army is clear and we will do everything we can to help people cope with the consequences of this disaster as quickly as possible," the minister wrote.

  • 09/17/2024

    Prime Minister Petr Fiala said the government would establish a working group which will consider how to allocate state funds to help municipalities repair the damage caused by the floods. The working group will be chaired by Finance Minister Zbyněk Stanjura, who said he was not ruling out the possibility of amending the state budget for this year, depending on the extent of the damage caused, which he estimates to be in the tens of billions of crowns.

    The prime minister also confirmed that the State Material Reserves Administration would provide equipment needed for relief and clean-up efforts directly to municipalities and basic aid to individuals who had lost everything in the floods. This will involve drinking water tankers, especially for smaller municipalities that will have to deal with contamination of water sources, power generators, dryers, tents and blankets.

  • 09/16/2024

    Prime Minister Petr Fiala (Civic Democratic Party) confirmed that the upcoming elections to regional councils and one-third of the Senate scheduled for this weekend will take place as planned. Following an extraordinary meeting of the government on its response to the flood crisis, the prime minister said that he firmly believed it was possible to overcome the complications of organizing the elections in the flood-hit regions. He assured voters that the Interior Ministry was already working on an action plan to help bring this about.

    Earlier on Monday, Environment Minister Petr Hladik (Christian Democrats) said that in areas where it will not be possible to open polling stations on Friday and Saturday due to flooding or clean-up work, the ballots could be collected by specially assigned teams of volunteers. The regional and Senate elections are due to take place on Friday from 2pm till 10pm and on Saturday between 8 am and 2pm.

  • 09/16/2024

    Firefighters have already rescued almost 500 people, including children, from Ostrava-Privoz, where evacuations began on Monday morning. A fifty-meters-long crack appeared in the dam at the confluence of the Opava and Odra rivers, letting out a stream of 100 cubic metres of water per second that directly threatened parts of Ostrava. The evacuations continued on Monday evening with boats and a helicopter.  The evacuees are being transported by buses to an evacuation centre the town has set up at Černá louka. On Monday evening firemen managed to close part of the opening in the dam with 200 sandbags.

    While water levels have started receding in some areas, 194 places in the Czech Republic remain on high flood alert. South Bohemia is now most at risk.

  • 09/16/2024

    As the country battles against extreme floods, Prime Minister Petr Fiala has stressed the need to restore electricity supplies, the communications network and repair damaged roads as soon as possible. On a visit to some of the hardest-hit regions together with Interior Minister Vít Rakušan, the prime minister thanked firefighters, the rescue services and volunteers for the recue and relief efforts underway. "It is premature to estimate the damages; the state and local governments must now concentrate their efforts on the rapid restoration of the damaged infrastructure," Petr Fiala said. The interior minister said deliveries of tankers with drinking water to the flood-affected areas must be accelerated, and the primary needs of citizens must be taken care of.

  • 09/16/2024

    Czechs have started contributing money in aid of those affected by the floods. A number of charity organizations have opened accounts for this purpose including People in Need, the Czech Red Cross, Charita Czech Republic and ADRA. People can also help by donating to Czech food banks.

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