Storm Boris, Typhoon Yagi and the devastating impact of the floods

The world is under the sign of floods. Trouble flows from Europe to Asia. Storm Boris brought chaos and suffering to Central and Eastern Europe, leaving behind huge casualties and property damage. This powerful storm affected several countries, including Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Romania, causing massive flooding, evacuations and loss of life. The tragic toll of the disaster is a wake-up call about the intensification of extreme weather events, which are increasingly affecting large regions of Europe and the world.

• Death of a firefighter in Austria

One of the most heartbreaking incidents of Storm Boris happened in Austria, where a firefighter lost his life while fighting the floods. Johanna Mikl-Leitner, the governor of Lower Austria, announced the tragedy in a press conference, stressing that the situation in the region is extremely serious. Lower Austria was declared a disaster zone as local authorities and rescue teams scrambled to deal with the critical situation on the ground.

Poland and the Czech Republic also experienced loss of life and numerous missing persons. In Poland, one person drowned, and in the Czech Republic, four people were reported missing after being caught in flash floods. Torrential rains and raging rivers hit with devastating force, causing mass evacuations and infrastructure gridlock.

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• The impact of the storm in Romania

Storm Boris did not spare Romania either, where seven deaths were recorded in the southeast of the country due to floods and heavy rains, and other people were reported missing. Thousands of people were evacuated from the waterways as emergency teams continued to rescue people from flooded areas. Rescue operations are also underway in Poland and the Czech Republic, where hundreds of thousands of homes have been left without electricity. The extreme level of rainfall has created a major crisis in these countries, with dams breaking under the pressure of the waters and rivers exceeding their normal flow limits. In Poland, river waters have caused major flooding in the south-west of the country, with the Klodzko region being badly affected. Dikes in towns such as Glucholazy and Ladek Zdroj were breached, forcing authorities to evacuate around 1,600 people. Dams in Poland and the Czech Republic, built decades ago to prevent such disasters, have faced immense pressure. The dam in southern Poland, built in the Klodzko Valley, failed on Saturday evening, flooding villages and towns downstream. The dam's reservoir, which can hold nearly one million cubic meters of water, could no longer cope with the historic amount of rainfall that fell in just a few days.

The situation is further aggravated by the fact that the flood defense infrastructure, although strengthened after the devastating floods of 2002, was not sufficient to fully protect against nature's fury. Stephan Pernkopf, the deputy governor of Lower Austria, warned that protection systems were being tested to their limits.

• Rescue efforts and international calls for help

In Poland, the authorities asked for the help of the army to support fire crews battling the floods. At the same time, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk appealed to the population to stay in safe areas to avoid further tragedies. Similar efforts took place in the Czech Republic, where the police and army were mobilized to manage the crisis. Heavy rain and strong winds also caused massive power outages. In the Czech Republic, more than 60,000 households were left without electricity, and protective barriers were erected in Prague and other major cities to prevent flooding in the city center.

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• Typhoon Yagi devastated Myanmar

The death toll from Typhoon Yagi in Myanmar has worsened, rising to 74 dead and 89 missing, Global New Light of Myanmar said. The previous report had reported 33 deaths and over 235,000 displaced people. Floods and landslides have killed nearly 350 people in Myanmar, Vietnam, Laos and Thailand since Typhoon Yagi hit the region last weekend, according to official figures.

Search and rescue operations are continuing in Burma, according to the newspaper, which adds that the floods have destroyed more than 65,000 houses and five dams.

Large areas of agricultural land were flooded in the center of the country, especially around the capital Naypyidaw, and landslides were reported in mountainous regions. With roads and bridges damaged and telephone and internet lines down, it is difficult to gather information about the situation, writes AFP. The head of the military junta, Min Aung Hlaing, has called for international help to deal with the floods, a rare move, with the government blocking humanitarian aid from abroad in the past. The floods have worsened the situation in the country, the scene of a civil war since the junta took power in 2021. The violence has forced more than 2.7 million people from their homes.

• Uncertain climate future

The devastating floods are just another alarm bell about climate change and the intensification of extreme weather events. These phenomena, increasingly frequent and severe, underline the urgent need for global actions to combat climate change and adapt infrastructure to the new realities. In conclusion, Storm Boris has left a deep mark on Central and Eastern Europe, and the human tragedies and material destruction resulting from this storm should serve as a clear signal to governments and communities to invest more in prevention and protection measures against natural disasters. International solidarity and cooperation will be essential to help affected countries recover and be better prepared for future climate challenges.