Catastrophic European Floods Reveal Devastating Impact of Climate Change

In Central and Eastern Europe, severe floods have resulted in the deaths of a minimum of seven individuals and caused thousands to abandon their residences over the weekend.

Storm Boris, a low-pressure system, has been battering the region since Thursday, causing major cities to have a month’s worth of rain and some locations to experience the highest rainfall in a century from Saturday to Sunday.

“Once again, we are dealing with the effects of climate change, which are becoming more prominent in Europe, with severe outcomes,” stated Romanian President Klaus Iohannis, as quoted by The Guardian.

Storm Boris has been most lethal in Romania, where it claimed five lives over the weekend, as reported by CNN. Hundreds of individuals also had to be rescued from rising floodwaters.

The Romanian city of Galati was the most affected, with the storm damaging approximately 5,400 homes, 700 of which are in the village of Slobozia Conachi alone.

“We are experiencing a disaster of monumental magnitude,” declared Mayor Emil Dragomir, as covered by The Guardian.

“The foolhardy media have neglected to effectively communicate what lies ahead—and this is just the beginning.”

The sixth fatality occurred in Austria, where a firefighter lost his life while combating the floods on Sunday. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in Lower Austria, where Vienna is situated, and conducted close to 5,000 rescues there on Saturday night. The storm also led to the suspension of railway services in the eastern part of the country.

“We are going through challenging and dramatic times in Lower Austria,” stated provincial governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner, as covered by The Associated Press. “For many people in Lower Austria, these will likely be the most challenging hours of their lives.”

In Poland, the region of Kłodzko was hit the hardest, where one person drowned, approximately 1,600 people were forced to evacuate, and 17,000 were left without electricity.

In another town called Stonie Slaski, floodwaters breached a dam and caused a bridge to collapse, while the river in Glucholazy overflowed its banks.

“The situation remains extremely critical in many areas,” stated Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk on Sunday, as quoted by CNN. “Regrettably, these circumstances are recurring in many locations… but some residents occasionally underestimate the threat level and opt not to evacuate.”

Parts of Slovakia, Hungary, and the Czech Republic were also severely affected by the storm, with some of the highest rainfall totals in the region reported there and four people are still unaccounted for.

The storm forced 10,000 residents of the city of Opava to abandon their homes, and Mayor Tomáš Navrátil stated that the conditions were worse than those during the 1997’s so-called “flood of the century,” as reported by AP.

“The current scene here is worse than in 1997, and I’m uncertain of what’s next since my house is submerged and I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to return to it,” said Lipová-lázne resident Pavel Bily, as covered by The Guardian.

The rains are anticipated to persist at least until Monday.

In 2021, World Weather Attribution stated that the climate crisis has made extreme flooding in Europe more probable. The storm also followed the hottest summer on record, as well as a warm start to September in the region, and warmer air can retain more moisture.

“Today, people are incarcerated for trying to alert the public about how severe the situation is going to become,” author Matthew Todd wrote on social media in reaction to footage of a dam bursting in Poland. “Scientists have resorted to protesting on the streets to warn us.”

“The reckless media have failed to adequately communicate what’s on the horizon—and this is just the start,” Todd continued. “Educate everyone you know.”