Floods return to south east Poland

photo - PAP/Piotr Polak

Although the scale of the flooding is decidedly smaller than last year's disaster – which saw 23,000 people evacuated across the country – about 500 homes have been deluged with water in the Sandomierz area alone.

This morning marked the second day of pumping water from damaged homesteads. Besides flooded homes, roads and pavements have incurred significant damage.

The adjoining Tarnobrzeg county has also been badly hit.

“The sudden downpours have flooded several parts of Tarnobrzeg, “ said Zbigniew Baran, a senior officer in the local fire brigade.

“Sewers, drainage ditches, as well as cellars and other parts of homes and farm buildings have all been flooded,” he confirmed.

“Sandomierz and Tarnobrzeg are in a specific situation,” concluded Wieslaw Lesniakiewicz, Chief Commander at the National Headquarters of the Fire Brigade.

“Last year there was a flood, and this year a very large amount of flooding. The repeated floodings are a signal that the infrastructure against flooding should be improved,” he said.

This morning, there seemed to be some respite, as sunnier weather returned to large parts of Poland, echoing the forecasts of meteorologists.

Residents in south east Poland are keeping fingers crossed that the bad weather will not return. (nh/pg)