Floods Ravage Czechia: “The Worst Is Yet to Come,” Says PM Fiala; Hanušovice Flooded in Minutes
Czechia continues to battle severe floods as river levels rise overnight, with the most critical situations unfolding in the Moravian-Silesian and northern Olomouc regions.
Krnov and other towns under water, evacuations continue
On Sunday, the town of Krnov in the Moravian-Silesian region ordered the evacuation of around 1,000 residents from Dolní Kostelec and 13 other streets. Český Těšín followed early in the morning, evacuating its city center and Na Olšinách street. The Opava River continues to rise, prompting the evacuation of the Kateřinky neighborhood in the city of Opava on Saturday.
In northern Olomouc, the Bělá River has isolated parts of the region, as floodwaters undermined the I/44 highway connecting Jeseník to Česká Ves, Písečná, and Mikulovice. Meanwhile, police are searching for four missing persons. Three were swept into a river in a car in the Jesenicko area, and another man was carried away by the current while clearing debris in the Uherské Hradiště region.
Firefighters respond to thousands of incidents
Over the past three days, firefighters have dealt with nearly 6,000 emergency incidents. Flooding and adverse weather have caused widespread road and railway disruptions. Around 40 railway sections remain closed, many of them in the Jesenicko area. The most significant impact is at Studénka station, where floodwaters have inundated the main railway line between Prague and Ostrava, according to Martin Kavka, a spokesperson for the Railway Administration.
On Sunday morning, more than a quarter of a million households were without power due to severe weather, with the worst outages in the Moravian-Silesian region, where 114,000 customers are affected. In the Olomouc region, 34,000 homes are without power, and in the Hradec Králové region, 25,000 customers remain disconnected, according to ČEZ spokesperson Soňa Holingerová.
Large parts of Krnov submerged
Around 3,000 people have been evacuated from the Moravian-Silesian region. Krnov’s situation is particularly dire, with large parts of the town, including the city center, underwater. “We’re in the same position as in 1997. Almost the entire town is flooded, and damages will be in the billions of crowns,” estimated independent mayor Tomáš Hradil on Sunday morning.
The Opava River, typically around one meter high, has now risen to nearly five meters, with a third-level flood alert in effect.
Villages in Olomouc region cut off
In Olomouc, villages such as Česká Ves, with a population of about 2,500, are completely cut off. The floods have also disrupted the rail corridor between Olomouc and Ostrava. In Ostrava itself, the D1 motorway remains closed due to flooding in the Svinov district.
The rising Morava River forced the overnight evacuation of residents from Bohuslavice and Leština in the Šumperk district. In Česká Ves and neighboring Písečná, several hundred residents were urged to evacuate due to the raging Bělá River. However, many have refused to leave their flooded homes, leaving hundreds of people in danger.
“We appeal once again to residents in affected areas to heed our calls for evacuation. The situation can deteriorate quickly, and firefighters may have to return to already dangerous locations, putting their own lives at risk,” warned firefighters in the Olomouc region.
Flood Risks Continue to Loom
In central Bohemia, the Labe (Elbe) River in Mělník reached the third flood alert level overnight, making it the only river in the region to do so.
Further evacuations are possible on Sunday in places like Podhradí nad Dyjí (Znojmo district), as well as in Rajhradice and Opatovice (Brno district), with rainfall expected to continue in the northeast until Monday.
As of Sunday morning, flood warnings were in place at 257 locations across the country. At nearly a third of these sites, the highest-level flood alerts have been issued, with the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute classifying many as extreme floods.
Hydrologists expect further problems on rivers draining the Jeseníky Mountains and in the Ostrava region. Major flood risks remain in the upper and central Morava River basins, in rivers draining the Beskydy and Šumava mountains, as well as in the Pardubice region. In Prague, the Vltava River continues to rise, though the capital is not currently at immediate risk of flooding.
Although river levels have been rising steadily since Friday, the increase in flood alerts has slowed in recent hours. In the Liberec region, rainfall was light overnight, and water levels have mostly returned to normal. However, the overall flood situation remains critical.
