Hungary flood crisis: 540 km defence effort mobilised amid near-record water levels – news roundup UPDATED

Flood warnings continue, with record near-record water levels in several places in Hungary:

Flood defence capabilities are a lot more developed than in 2013

Although Hungary is facing the biggest flood since the one in 2013 it has a lot more developed flood defence capabilities than eleven years ago, the parliamentary state secretary of the interior ministry told a press briefing on the flood situation on Tuesday.
The peak water levels are expected to exceed last week’s levels by 6-6.5 metres in the Szigetkoz, the Danube Bend and Budapest, Bence Rétvári said. Rivers will carry 400 percent more water at their peak this week, he said.

Since 2013, the country’s flood defence system has been significantly improved with 150 billion forints (EUR 380.4m) worth of development projects completed, he said. Those included the upgrade of dikes, the construction of facilities helping flood defence, building rainwater storages and a clean-up of riverbeds, Rétvári added.

He noted that defence operations were ongoing along a 390km river section and at 35 settlements coordinated by local mayors and supported by the disaster management and water management authorities. Police have dispatched officers to nine sites who arrange road closures and are also filling sandbags, Retvari added. He said schools, health-care and social institutions operate uninterrupted. “State leaders participating in flood defence have postponed all of their international obligations for as long as the situation is difficult at the dams,” Retvari said.

István Láng, the head of Hungary’s Water Management Directorate, said the Danube is forecast to peak at a level 30-50cm below the level of the 2013 flood. All of the affected municipalities have arranged for the setting up of dikes which are nearly half-way ready, he said, adding that they will be fully completed by the time the rivers peak.

The directorate has assigned an additional staff of 298 to be on duty along the 1,500km state-managed defence line, arranged for the delivery of 2 million sandbags and the distribution of more than 1 million sandbags to local governments, Lang said.

Leitha

He said the Leitha river is expected to peak at Mosonmagyaróvár on Wednesday night.

Danube

Láng added that the Danube is expected to peak at Szigetköz on Thursday morning, at Győr in the evening that day, at Komárom on Friday morning, and in Esztergom on Friday afternoon. On Saturday, the river is expected to peak at Nyergesfalu in the early morning, at Vác later on, and in Budapest on Saturday evening.

As we wrote earlier, Cyclone Boris not only brought heavy rain, but also high winds and reached the ‘Hungarian sea’, details HERE.

Flood defence operation under way along 540 km

Flood defence operations are under way along 540 kilometres on Hungary’s rivers with the highest, third-degree alert in place along 200 kilometres, the prime minister said on Tuesday.

Viktor Orbán said in a video posted on Facebook that based on reports received in the morning the most serious situation had developed along the Leitha river.

“This necessitated a dispach of a staff of more than 800 experts from Hungary’s central regions to the west where those people are working in cooperation with Hungarian troops and are doing an excellent job,” Orbán said.

Photo: MTI

He said that currently there are 400 Hungarian soldiers working at the dams, adding that several thousand more troops stood ready to be deployed in 24 hours, if need be. “But for the time being we are able to tackle the situation with the manpower mobilised and with the help of enthusiastic volunteers,” the prime minister said.

PM approves opening of emergency reservoir along Leitha

PM Orbán on Tuesday inspected the flood defence work along the Leitha river where he and MP István Nagy were briefed on the protection efforts in the region by water and disaster management experts.

The prime minister gave his approval for opening the emergency reservoir between the Leitha’s main embankment and the left-bank channel. The opening of the emergency reservoir ensures that the water will not break through the primary defence lines and guarantees the safety of Mosonmagyaróvár and its residents, the statement said.

Budapest Fidesz calls for free public transport in Budapest during floods

Alexandra Szentkirályi, the leader of ruling Fidesz’s Budapest chapter, has called on the mayor of Budapest to ensure free use of the city’s public transport services during the closure of the embankments of the Danube due to the flood.

She said in a Facebook post on Tuesday that traffic in Budapest has slowed down due to flood protection measures.

“We ask Mayor Gergely Karácsony to arrange for allowing the public to use services operated by Budapest Transport Centre (BKK) free of charge and promote the use of public transportation means by car owners.”

Szentkirályi did not say whether the government would compensate for lost revenue during the period when public transport would be free in Budapest.

UPDATE: Budapest mayor says they are prepared for peak flood levels

Budapest is prepared to handle the Danube’s peak flood levels, Gergely Karácsony, the city’s mayor, has said, adding that all flood defence work will be completed by noon on Thursday.

The most intense flood defence work is being carried out along Nánási-Királyok Road in the third district, Margaret Island and the area around the Dagály baths at the northern Pest embankment, Karácsony said in a post on Facebook.

On Nanasi-Kiralyok Road, a clay levee is being built along several kilometres, the mayor said. On Margaret Island, 800,000 sandbags are being filled, he said, noting that the island has been closed to traffic from Margaret Bridge and will likely also be closed from the direction of Arpad Bridge. Meanwhile, a mobile dam will be built near the Dagaly baths, he added.

The bridges leading to Hajogyari Island will be closed and power to the island will be cut, Karácsony said.

The floods are also expected to cause delays in public transport, with the tram lines along the Danube being the main ones to be affected, he added.

Karácsony thanked those contributing to the flood protection efforts.

• Read also – Extreme flood reached Hungary: Danube bridge, border crossing closed, ferry service halted, train service changed

Read more and latest news about floods in Hungary here.