Central Europe: Further adverse weather likely as of early Sept. 16; flooding ongoing in various locations /update 2

Various red, orange, and yellow rain warnings remain active across Central Europe through at least Sept. 18. Flooding has been widely reported as of early Sept. 16. Storm Boris brought heavy rainfall across the region since Sept. 14, resulting in widespread flooding. At least eight people have died, including six people in eastern Romania, one person in southwestern Poland, and one person in Austria. Three people in the Czech Republic remain missing after their car fell into the river Staric near Lipova-lazne Sept. 14.

Tens of thousands of people in the Czech Republic have been evacuated, with the worst affected Opava, Ostrava, Bohumin, Krnov, and Cesky Tesin. Most of the city of Krnov is flooded. Towns and villages in the Jeseniky mountains are flooding or isolated by the flooding. Almost no trains are operating in Ostrava. Numerous roads are closed, including the D1 Highway. Several bridges and roads have been also severely damaged. Thousands of homes have been destroyed. At the height of the storm, more than 260,000 households were without power.

Polish authorities will announce a state of disaster and seek European Union aid. Authorities have evacuated more than 20,000 people from the affected areas, including Glucholazy Town near the Czech border, where a bridge has also collapsed. Officials evacuated over 1,600 people in Klodzko County due to rivers overflowing; Klodzko Town is partially submerged. A dam near the town of Stronie Slaskie burst, collapsing another bridge and destroying a police station. The Bobr River overflowed, flooding Jelenia Gora; authorities have warned residents they may need to evacuate as more flooding is likely. Authorities have suspended rail services on the Prudnik-Nysa routes and at the Chalupki-Bohumin and Chalupki-Bohumin Vrbice border crossings with the Czech Republic. Communications disruptions are ongoing in some flooded areas in southwestern Poland, and regions may use the satellite-based Starlink service.

Officials have declared Lower Austria State a disaster area, and additional emergency personnel are assisting in rescue and relief efforts. Rescue crews have evacuated more than 1,100 houses; emergency personnel have set up emergency accommodation. Lilienfeld Municipality is cut off; authorities have told residents to boil tap water as a precautionary measure. Approximately 100 roads in the state are closed. Rail service is also disrupted. Vienna is experiencing widespread disruptions to public transport, including rail service. Some subway operations are not expected to resume regular service until at least Sept. 18. The Wien River overflowed, flooding homes and forcing evacuations of houses near the river. Elsewhere, widespread power outages have been reported in Styria.

Rescue crews in Romania saved 95 people trapped in their homes. Thousands of homes nationwide were damaged nationwide, including around 5,400 houses in Galati County. At the height of the storm, more than 25,000 people in Romania were without power. Authorities have declared a state of emergency in Bratislava, Slovakia. Authorities in Hungary have warned that the Danube River could flood.

Further sustained heavy rainfall could trigger additional flooding in low-lying communities near rivers, streams, and creeks. Urban flooding is likely in developed areas with easily overwhelmed stormwater drainage systems. Sites located downstream from large reservoirs or rivers may be subject to flash flooding after relatively short periods of intense rainfall. Landslides have been reported, and additional incidents are possible in hilly or mountainous areas, especially where heavy rain saturates the soil.

Authorities have evacuated some residents, including Vienna, and could issue additional evacuation orders for flood-prone communities over the coming days. Significant flooding, landslides, or strong winds could impact utility networks, disrupting electricity and telecommunications services.

Floodwaters and debris flows will likely render bridges, rail networks, or roadways impassable, impacting overland travel in and around affected areas. Ponding on road surfaces will probably cause hazardous driving conditions on regional highways. Authorities will likely temporarily close some low-lying routes that become inundated by floodwaters. Strong winds might also pose a hazard to high-profile vehicles.

Severe weather will probably trigger flight delays and cancellations at airports across the affected areas. Flooding will likely block regional rail lines, and freight and passenger train delays and cancellations are probable in areas that see heavy rainfall and potential track inundation.

Localized business disruptions are likely in low-lying areas; some businesses might not operate at full capacity because of flood damage to facilities, evacuations, and some employees' inability to reach work sites.