• 09/15/2024

    On Sunday morning, approximately 260,000 households in the Czech Republic were without electricity due to adverse weather conditions. The hardest-hit region is Moravian-Silesia, where 114,000 customers are currently without power. In the Olomouc region, 34,000 homes are affected, while southern Moravia has 30,000 outages, the Hradec Králové region is facing 25,000, and the Liberec region has 16,000 customers without electricity. These figures were provided by spokespersons from energy companies ČEZ and E.ON. ČEZ Distribuce reports 240 outages on high-voltage lines and hundreds more on low-voltage lines. The primary cause is fallen trees and branches on power lines due to strong winds, which also toppled several utility poles. A significant outage was caused by flooding at a substation in Krnov. In southern Czechia, E.ON has reported 91 high-voltage line outages.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/15/2024

    River levels across Czechia continued to rise overnight, with the worst conditions reported in Moravia-Silesia and northern Olomouc, as well as southern Bohemia on Sunday morning. In the town of Prachatice, water overflowed the Husinec dam, while Český Těšín and Krnov saw evacuations. Around 3000 people have been evacuated in Moravia-Silesia, and further evacuations are expected in Podhradí nad Dyjí and Brno areas in southern Moravia. Severe flooding has cut off roads and railway lines, firefighters have responded to nearly 6000 incidents over the past three days, with 257 flood warnings still in effect across the country.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/15/2024

    Around 40 railway lines in Czechia have been closed due to severe weather, with many of the closures in the Jesenicko region. The main issue is in Studénka, where flooding has halted the major Prague-Ostrava rail corridor, according to Martin Kavka, spokesperson for Railway Administration firefighters. Some lines have been closed as a precaution, while others are affected by flooding or fallen trees. Workers in Jesenicko are inspecting the closed lines to restore service. Kavka advised against unnecessary travel as disruptions continue.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/15/2024

    Interior Minister Vít Rakušan (Mayors and Independents Party) expressed confidence that, in cooperation with regional and city authorities, the upcoming regional and Senate elections on September 20-21 will proceed smoothly despite the floods. Speaking at a press conference after the Central Crisis Staff meeting, he noted that Czech law does not specify conditions for canceling elections, only for postponing them. Rakušan assured that the government is focused on ensuring the proper conduct of the elections, with the Interior Ministry in contact with all electoral commissions to find alternative arrangements if necessary.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/15/2024

    Flooding has disrupted train traffic on the main rail corridor between Olomouc and Ostrava, with operations suspended between Studénka and Jistebník due to anticipated flooding and severe weather. Trains from Prague are terminating in Olomouc, and trains from Poland in Bohumín, according to Czech Railways spokesperson Filip Medelský. Czech Railways is attempting to arrange replacement bus services but urges passengers to postpone their travel if possible. Additional train disruptions have occurred on about 20 routes, including between Bohumín and Dětmarovice. Railway firefighters have responded to numerous incidents, including removing fallen trees and evacuating passengers.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/15/2024

    The D1 highway in Ostrava has been closed after flooding submerged the Prague-bound lane near Svinov, according to the National Traffic Information Center. The duration of the closure is currently unknown. Additionally, the Klimkovice tunnel on the D1 has been closed in both directions due to a technology outage, which follows a power failure that shut the tunnel for three hours on Saturday evening. The timeline for reopening the tunnel is also unclear at this time. The highway is the backbone of road transport in Czechia connecting the country to Poland near the locations where it was flooded.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/15/2024

    Authorities in several citities and villages in northern Moravia have ordered the evacuation due to rising water levels in local rivers. In the Jeseníky mountains, the river Bělá has cut off several villages, washing away roads and isolating communities. Power outages and a lack of drinking water are complicating evacuation efforts as authorities work to move residents to safety. Floodwaters are rising in other places across the Czech Republic, with over 260 locations under flood alerts as of early Sunday morning. Nearly a third of these are at the highest warning level, with extreme flooding declared in some areas.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/14/2024

    The city of Opava in north Moravia has started evacuating thousands of residents from areas threatened by rising floodwaters, with the river Opava already overflowing in some places. The evacuation affects the largest housing estate, Kateřinky, as well as other areas. The river is expected to peak between 2:00 and 6:00 a.m. on Sunday. Mayor Tomáš Navrátil urged residents to secure their belongings and follow evacuation procedures calmly. Emergency shelters have been set up, and authorities are providing food, water, and basic necessities. Floodwaters could surpass the devastating levels seen in 1997.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/14/2024

    Mostly cloudy with rain, sometimes heavy. High temperatures between 9 and 16°C, around 8°C in the mountains. Strong northwesterly wind gradually weakening during the day.

    Author: Vít Pohanka
  • 09/14/2024

    Bohumín City Hospital has started evacuating nearly 120 patients to nearby facilities due to flooding, hospital director Svatopluk Němeček announced. The evacuation includes 106 patients from the long-term care unit, many of whom are mobility-impaired. The city is on the Oder River where the water levels are among the highest in the country. The hospital faces additional risks, including potential power outages due to the flood threat in the Pudlov district, which houses the power substation for the entire city. Brno’s Hospital of the Merciful Brothers has also been evacuated with 180 patients moving to other facilities in Brno and South Moravia due to the threat of flooding.

    Author: Vít Pohanka

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