PHOTOS: Record-high water level on River Dráva, but Hungary’s flood management ‘superb’
The authorities combatting flooding on Hungary’s rivers have performed superbly in recent days, partly owing to experiences gained during the great floods ten years ago, a government official said on Thursday.
Torrential rain in western parts of the country has resulted in the serious swelling of rivers, István György, a state secretary of the prime minister’s office, told a press conference in Drávaszabolcs by the River Dráva, adding that flood barriers in Baranya County have held strong this past week. Instructed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, officials participating in flood protection efforts have maintained close online communication with the government, he noted, also highlighting the contributions of the police, disaster managers, water experts, and local mayors.
The River Dráva at Drávaszabolcs is expected to peak on Friday morning at a near-record level, he said. Fully 31 settlements in the Drávaszabolcs area are being protected, and the first signs of subsidence on the river at Szentborbas has been observed, so flood protection efforts will be maintained in perilous sections of the Dráva until the end of next week, a water management official said.
Here is Orbán’s video:
Hungarian disaster authority offers aid to flood-stricken Slovenia
Hungary’s disaster management authority (OKF) has offered a diving team, pumps and flood protection equipment to Slovenia to help with flood mitigation. The authority said on Thursday that it had offered a 22-member diving team equipped with all-terrain vehicles and boats, 6 high-performance pumps and operating personnel, 2 excavators, 2 tipper trucks, 2 technical experts, sandbags, and other tools necessary for flood protection. The aid will only be sent to Slovenia once it has been accepted, OKF’s statement said.
The difference between Slovakia’s and Hungary’s flood management is President Orban and a Conservative Government.