Northeast Brno is preparing for the expected rise of Svitava

The northeast of Brno is preparing for the expected rise of the Svitava, which is not blocked by any dam above the city. Curious people come to the river, as well as volunteers who help with sand bagging and the construction of temporary dams. According to current data on the website of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, the culmination can be expected on Sunday evening.

The Svitava flows into Brno in Obřany. Around 4:00 p.m., there was only a few tens of centimeters left before the water spilled onto the road on Mlýnské nábřeží. People who have garages there have temporarily stacked sandbags in the driveways.

People stand in raincoats on the Makovské bridge and the Obřanské bridge and watch how the water carries huge branches from the forests above Brno and how it slowly floods the park near Břehová street. Under the arch of the railway bridge, the city district built a bagging station today. The sandbags were then used by people who live near the water.

A temporary dam was built further down the Svitava river in Husovice near Gargulákova street. The management of the Brno-sever district does not yet expect the Svitava to overflow its banks there, but it cannot be ruled out. “It is expected to rain intensively until Monday, and if there were more precipitation during its course, the situation would change quickly and even pessimistic scenarios may occur,” wrote the mayor of the Brno-sever district on Facebook in the afternoon, Martin Maleček (Hnutí SOL) .

In Husovice, for example, there is a trolleybus depot near the river. The spokeswoman for the Brno transport company, Hana Tomaštíková, said that there is no reason to fear flooding yet. “It is therefore not necessary to take the trolleybuses elsewhere. If the situation changes, of course we would react to it,” added Tomaštíková.

Volunteers and firefighters started building a dam also on the Svitavské nábřeží towards Zábrdovice. In the early evening today, several dozen people filled sacks in the open air and distributed them along the river.

In Zábrdovice, sandbags were used in the area of ​​the Military Hospital, around Zbrojovka and in other buildings. “Dozens of volunteers help with bagging, engineers build barriers,” Mayor of Židenice Petr Kunc (Voice for Židenice) said on the X network. The military hospital remains in operation for the time being, but it has moved devices and equipment to higher floors and banned visitors.

Sandbags are also laid out in the portal of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary church in Zábrdovice. Despite the rain and the threat of flooding, a wedding was held there today.