Hardest phase of flood protection under way, says Orbán

The hardest phase of flood protection, expected to last until next Thursday, is under way, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán told a press conference in Budapest.

The peak of the flood wave entered Hungary on Tuesday night, he said early on Wednesday, adding that the water authorities, disaster management, army, the interior ministry and volunteers will be working to protect areas affected by the flood wave from western parts of the country right until it passes from Hungary into Serbia.

“This period is the hardest part … it will last for about a week or eight days from today,” he said, adding that the peak of the flood wave at southern border was expected to flow beyond Hungarian territory next Thursday.

The flood wave on the Danube has reached Deveny, and the river is expected to peak at Budapest on Saturday afternoon-evening at 40-50cm lower than the 846cm historic high level, Orbán said.

The Leitha river is expected to peak at Mosonmagyarovar near the Austrian border on Thursday, at a record level, he said.

“We will do it!” – Orbán said in today’s press conference:

Flood defence operations on the Danube, Lajta (Leitha), Raba and Marcal rivers are under way along 544 kilometres, Orbán noted, adding that preparedness in areas under state protection was “at one hundred percent”.

Fully 4,392 people dispatched by the water and disaster management authorities, the police and prison services are participating currently in flood defences, Orbán said, noting that “the most difficult spots at the moment are Pilismarot, certain sections of highway 11 [in the north-west of the country] and Margaret Island and the Batthyany Square metro station in Budapest”. As certain sections of highway 11 cannot be protected, the operative body in charge of flood protection has decided to open detours, he added.

Water management experts are working to divert flood water leaking on to Margaret Island and the Batthyány Square metro station, Orbán said, adding that hopefully the latter would prevent the closure of the metro station.

PM Orbán, Interior Minister Sándor Pintér, and Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony today morning on a status report in the Interior Ministry. Photo: FB/Orbán

Flood defence work is ongoing at 12 primary state-managed spots on the Danube and Leitha’s sections at Mosonmagyarovar, with 39,335 sandbags placed already. Operations along defence lines managed by municipalities are under way at 31 primary spots, where most of the 1,421,500 sandbags prepared have been used, the prime minister said.

Orbán praises post-2013 decision to strengthen flood protection system

The government’s decision to implement flood protection developments and investments worth 435 billion forints (EUR 1.04bn) after the 2013 floods has resulted in “serious and important” gains, Orbán said on Wednesday, adding that additional protections in various locations were no longer necessary as the flood permanent defences were working well.

Orbán noted at a press briefing that developments worth 150 billion forints were carried out along the Danube, and now at several locations such as around Komarom, in western Hungary, volunteers were no longer needed to build temporary dams using sandbags.

Also, the decision to create a Danube diversion at Moson, inaugurated in 2022, had been a good one, he said. Here, floodwater is diverted away from the Danube branch in Moson, thereby protecting the city of Győr.

The prime minister said that once the current flood receded, it would be important to quickly strengthen flood protection systems around Esztergom. Also, as part of a 40 billion forint scheme, flood defences around the Szigetköz tributary are to be built, he noted.

Read also:

• Extreme flood reached Hungary: Danube bridge, border crossing closed, ferry service halted, train service changed – read more HERE
• Hungary flood crisis: 540 km defence effort mobilised amid near-record water levels – news roundup HERE

More news on the floods in Hungary HERE.

Featured image: Római Beach in Budapest.