Emergency authorities said Saturday that four people had been killed in eastern Romania after heavy rainstorms left dozens stranded in flooded areas.
Rescue teams rushed to save 95 people in the hard-hit eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui. The bodies of three elderly women and two men were found in the areas of Peccia, Dragosini, Costaci Negri and Korod, the emergency services said.
Authorities later added that it was determined that one of the victims had been dead for two days and had not died “as a result of the effects of the weather” but of other causes.
Emergency authorities released video footage showing a team of rescuers evacuating an elderly man onto a small lifeboat before carrying him to safety.
A Black Hawk helicopter was dispatched to Galati to assist in search and rescue missions.
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Storms hit 19 regions in eight counties in Romania, with strong winds knocking down dozens of trees, damaging cars and blocking roads and traffic. Authorities sent text messages to residents warning them of the bad weather, while emergency services rushed to remove floodwater from homes. Some roads were also closed.
Romanian Environment Minister Mircea Vechet told The Associated Press on Saturday that some flooded areas had received more than 160 liters of rain per square meter, which he said was rare. “What we are trying to do now is to save as many lives as possible,” said the minister, who was on his way to Galati to assess the situation.
Romanian President Klaus Iohannis offered his condolences on Saturday to the families of the victims and said: “We must continue to strengthen our ability to predict extreme weather events” in the face of climate change.
“The severe floods that affected a large part of the country have resulted in loss of life and extensive damage. We are once again dealing with the effects of climate change, which are becoming increasingly present across the European continent, with severe consequences for people,” Iohannis said.
The stormy weather comes as several central European countries are expecting severe flooding in the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia and Hungary over the weekend.
In the Czech Republic, rivers reached dangerous levels in dozens of areas across the country on Saturday morning, flooding homes and roads in several towns and villages. The Czech electricity company CEZ said heavy rains and strong winds had left more than 63,000 homes without power.
A hospital in Brno, the Czech Republic’s second-largest city, was evacuated, along with dozens of residents everywhere. Dozens of railway lines were also closed after being hit by fallen trees or floodwaters.
Heavy rains also hit Moldova on Saturday, with emergency workers managing to drain floodwater from dozens of homes in several areas, authorities said.
A low pressure system coming from northern Italy is expected to bring heavy rain to much of the Czech Republic, including the capital and border areas with Austria and Germany in the south, and Poland in the north, meteorologists said.
“We have to be prepared for the worst-case scenario. We are heading towards a difficult weekend,” Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala said after a meeting of the government’s Central Crisis Committee.
In Poland, dozens of people were evacuated as a precaution on Saturday from two villages near the town of Nysa in the Nysa River basin, after meteorologists warned of unprecedented rainfall and water levels in some rivers in the area rose sharply, according to Interior Minister Tomasz Siemoniak. He warned that “the worst is yet to come.”
Polish authorities on Friday urged residents to stock up on food and prepare for power outages by charging power banks.
The weather change came after a warm start to September in the region, including Romania. Scientists have documented The hottest summer on earth Breaking the record set just one year ago.
A warmer climate, driven by human activities climate changewhich can lead to heavier rainfall.
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