Firefighters evacuated 120 people from flood-prone areas in Jesenice to safety and rescued 20 people, including children, from inaccessible places around the Bělé river. Heavy rains raised river levels, mainly in Jeseníky. Extreme flood levels apply in Mikulovice, Velká Kraš, Vidnav and Raškov. Firefighters are now simultaneously dealing with two hundred incidents throughout the region, of which 110 are in Jesenice. Since Friday midnight, firefighters in the region have registered 540 interventions in connection with the extreme weather. Lucie Balážová, spokeswoman for the fire brigade, told ČTK today.
“We are rescuing and evacuating the residents of the most threatened villages in Jesenice. Rivers are overflowing their banks, roads and family homes are flooding. At the moment, colleagues at the operations and information center are receiving dozens of calls per hour,” said Balážová. Crisis teams were activated in Jeseník and Šumperk due to the rapid rise in water levels and the threat of flooding. The evacuation of residents was started, for example, in Mikulovice and Jeseník.
In Jesenice, some sections of railway lines are closed due to subsidence or landslides. Water also flooded some roads. “Our advanced detachments are operating in localities where cars can no longer pass. They are moving residents to alternative accommodation, which 18 people have now used. Four evacuation centers are ready,” Balážová pointed out. In Písečná, the firefighters transported a paramedic to the injured man, because the ambulance could no longer reach the place due to the flooded roads.
Firefighters in Jesenice deployed heavy equipment, including a recovery crane, with which they remove driftwood and other material from watercourses to prevent the formation of further obstacles in the riverbeds. “For the transport of material and sandbags, we use a special truck, a so-called wader with a higher wading capacity,” added Balážová.
Source: www.tyden.cz
