The drama told by the famous Netflix series "Wielka Woda" is being repeated in southwestern Poland. In some places, the flood is worse than in 1997, described in the film, but the Poles are rising to the occasion and from the very beginning they rush to help their flooded compatriots.
Flooded Głuchołazy, September 15, 2024 (Source: DlaPolonii.pl, Photo: Robert Neumann)
Kłodzko, Lądek Zdrój, Stronie Śląskie, Głuchołazy – these towns located in the Sudetes have already been almost completely devastated by the great flood from the massive rainfall brought on September 13 and 14 by the Genoese low pressure system "Boris." The water not only tore off bridges, carried away cars and swept away everything from shops and apartments, but also swept away entire buildings, leaving these towns ruined as if by bombing.
The tragedy of 1997 repeating itself
For days after the largest wave, some towns were still cut off from the world due to lack of mobile communication (no electricity) and flooded access roads, making it difficult or impossible to deliver essential aid to residents, such as food (shops are closed), drinking water (waterworks are down), cleaning products or clothing. Everywhere, residents are starting a major clean-up and counting losses.
So far, 10 people have died in the flooding in southwestern Poland, but local services have warned that this number may increase, as the cleanup after the flood has only just begun and it is possible that more victims will be found in flooded houses or apartments. The largest number, 7 people, died in Stronie Śląskie – most of them were carried away by the water during evacuation attempts (as of September 18). Among the dead is a well-known Silesian surgeon, who was returning from a shift at the hospital in Prudnik when the floodwaters hit Nysa. The police suspect that he drowned while trying to leave his car, which had been carried away by the water.
The fight against the big water continues
The flood continues, because despite the cessation of rainfall, many Silesian rivers are still above alert levels. The Bóbr, Odra, Bystrzyca and Oława are still threatening to overflow. Residents of the towns through which they flow, together with the fire department and the army, are strengthening the embankments and endangered streets with sandbags.
Flood conditions have also been declared in the largest cities in these areas, namely Opole and Wrocław – flooded in similar floods in 1997 and 2010. However, everyone hopes that the structures built since then to protect against high water levels – such as the huge retention reservoir in Racibórz – will flatten the wave and protect these cities from a repeat of the tragedy.
The state of natural disaster introduced by the government in flooded and flood-threatened areas was intended to enable control of the situation and the provision of assistance, but it just expired a few days ago.
Although the fight against the element is still ongoing, the government has announced systemic aid for all those affected by its effects. In addition to a one-time, non-refundable allowance of PLN 10,000 (US $2,524), flood victims are to receive PLN 100,000 (US $25,240) or PLN 200,000 (US $50,480) for the reconstruction or necessary renovation of their apartment or house. Insurance payments from private insurers, from whom residents of flooded towns had purchased policies, have also already started.
Spontaneous help from fellow countrymen
From the first hours of the flood, spontaneous social aid for compatriots in flooded areas began. In every Polish city there is at least one collection point for essential items for flood victims, such as food, water and cleaning products. Numerous Polish humanitarian organizations such as Caritas Polska, the Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity or the Polish Humanitarian Action immediately began operating on the spot using their regional network of branches. Their volunteers are setting up field kitchens in flooded towns, delivering power generators, food and water, and coordinating the aid provided on the spot with the fire brigade and police. The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity also announced that it was creating a special fund to replace equipment and supplies for flooded hospitals and health centers.
There are also many social fundraising campaigns for flood victims. Many Polish companies have joined in the aid, not only paying large amounts into social fundraising campaigns, but also providing or making their services and goods available free of charge to flood victims; the parcel locker operator has introduced the possibility of sending free parcels with donations, other companies are providing generators and dehumidifiers, as well as food.
The President of the Republic of Poland Andrzej Duda visited Lądek-Zdrój and Głuchołazy – towns destroyed by the flood. (Source: prezydent.pl)
Local governments from other parts of Poland are also helping by sending transports with gifts and their service units. Finally, representatives of the political class are helping: a collection point for gifts from members of parliament currently working in Warsaw was immediately set up in the Sejm, President Andrzej Duda sent a huge transport with drinking water and essential food products and made the presidential center in Wisła available to accommodate those who had lost their homes and had nowhere to stay.
Speaking on September 17 during the ceremony commemorating the 85th anniversary of the Soviet attack on Poland, the President of the Republic of Poland, Andrzej Duda, thanked and asked for further help for the flood victims:
I ask that we now mobilize to help our compatriots in the south-west of Poland. This help is really needed there. Many, many of these people have lost their life's work. Many of these people are on the verge of despair or even in despair, some have even lost their loved ones. I warmly ask for support, I ask for solidarity, I ask for understanding, I ask for help!
The flood has also affected other countries in Central Europe: the Czech Republic, Austria, Romania and Slovakia. In the coming days, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, visited Wrocław, where she met with Prime Minister Donald Tusk and the heads of government of other countries affected by the current disaster. She pledged over EUR 10 billion in EU aid to the countries affected by the flood.
Flood damage valuation
The flood in Lower Silesia in 2024 caused huge damage to the region's building infrastructure. Losses are estimated at at least PLN 5 billion. Over 890 people still cannot return to their homes. Miles of roads, bridges, and sewage and water infrastructure were destroyed. The most affected communes were Lądek-Zdrój, Stronie Śląskie, and Bystrzyca Kłodzka. The process of drying buildings and estimating losses is still ongoing, and humanitarian and technical aid is continuing.
The General Office of Building Supervision (Główny Urząd Nadzoru Budowlanego, GUNB) has just completed a preliminary assessment of the condition of buildings in the region, reporting on inspections carried out in over 13,800 buildings. Most of them, over 11 thousand, were destroyed or damaged. In particular, in the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, over 4,900 buildings were assessed, a significant proportion of which were classified as a safety hazard.
In the face of this disaster, GUNB is working with local government units to assess the condition of buildings as quickly as possible and enable the residents of Lower Silesia to return to normal life.
The flood particularly affected residential buildings, both single-family and multi-family, as well as industrial and warehouse facilities, farm buildings and public utility buildings. The destruction was not limited to buildings, but also included road and hydrotechnical infrastructure, including over 596 bridges and viaducts and 149 hydrotechnical facilities that were assessed.
Lower Silesia, like other regions, has been struggling with the crisis, especially in places like Głuchołazy, where flooding even reached the 19th-century Skowronek holiday resort, a symbol of the city's spa district. Local authorities have taken intensive measures to assess the losses and begin the reconstruction process, but the prolonged rainfall and damage to infrastructure mean that it will take months to return to normal.
On a national scale, the flood also affected other provinces, including Opole and Silesia, where thousands of buildings were assessed in total. The damage in Opole affected over 7,800 buildings, and in Silesia – 783 buildings. In Lubuskie, where inspection work is still ongoing, 221 buildings have been assessed so far.
Local authorities, with the support of the government, have taken action to help residents who have lost their homes. Loss assessment committees have been established, in which GUNB has played a key role. These committees, supported by building superintendents, are working on assessing the damage and issuing permits for reconstruction, where possible.
History repeating itself?
The scale of the flood that hit Lower Silesia and the speed of its effects exceeded many previous meteorological forecasts. Floods such as the one in 2024 highlight the need to take long-term preventative measures. After all, this is not the first time this has happened. Local authorities and non-governmental organizations point to the need to increase investment in flood protection infrastructure, including the construction of new flood embankments and the modernization of existing water retention systems.
The Lower Silesian regional authorities are reportedly intensifying their actions in terms of planning the reconstruction and modernization of infrastructure after this catastrophic flood. Particular attention has been paid to the need to introduce modern technological and ecological solutions that can not only increase the safety of residents, but also contribute to the reconstruction of the region in a sustainable way.
This flood clearly demonstrated the need to accelerate adaptation measures in the context of climate change and the development of protective infrastructure, which can reduce the scale of future disasters.
Humanitarian aid
Humanitarian and financial aid is flowing in from both the government and international levels. Aid organizations are actively working in the region to provide food, drinking water, and basic hygiene products to those who cannot return to their homes. Many residents who are currently staying in temporary shelters will require ongoing support for several weeks or even months, until conditions improve enough to safely return to their homes.
Account numbers for official collections of large and well-known institutions (accounts for payments from outside Poland):
Caritas Poland
SWIFT: BIGBPLPWXXX
euro (EUR): PL 23 1160 2202 0000 0000 3436 4677
dollar (USD): PL 57 1160 2202 0000 0000 6663 1212
Polish Humanitarian Action
Polish Red Cross
https://www.every.org/polish-red-cross-pl
The Great Orchestra of Christmas Charity Foundation
12 1140 1010 0000 5244 4400 1043
SWIFT: BREXPLPWMBK
IBAN: PL12 1140 1010 0000 5244 4400 1043
