Intense rain from storm Boris has inundated parts of Austria, Hungary, Czechia, Poland, Slovakia, and surrounding countries, causing some of the worst flooding in central Europe in decades.
At least 10 people have died, and more are likely as rescuers and emergency workers are still hard at work. An official in Austria said the region is “still in a state of crisis.”
Entire towns have been cut off by flooded out roads. Plants supplying hot water to hundreds of thousands have been flooded and shut off. In one Czech town, 80 percent of buildings have been largely submerged.
“This is a catastrophe of epic proportions,” said the mayor of a Romanian town where at least 700 homes had been flooded. Some rivers were still expected to crest throughout Monday, meaning flooding may still get worse.
The refrain, of course, is familiar now: A warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture, meaning there is more of it to fall during intense rainfall events. What might have been more of an inconvenience four decades ago, with minor flooding and damage, is now “epic” and “catastrophic.” This particular rain should end by late Monday or early Tuesday, but another will come.