n September 2024, a slow-moving storm unleashed days of relentless rainfall across central and eastern Europe, triggering devastating floods that submerged entire towns and forced tens of thousands to evacuate. This extreme weather event brought widespread destruction, particularly in Austria, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic (Czechia), as rivers burst their banks and floodwaters surged into homes, farmlands, and cities.
Between September 11 and 18, a low-pressure storm system, named Storm Boris by the UK Met Office, pummeled parts of Europe with torrential rain. The storm developed when a cold wave of Arctic air collided with warm, moist air from the Mediterranean, creating the perfect conditions for a cut-off low-pressure system. This atmospheric phenomenon caused the storm to linger over the region for several days, exacerbating the rainfall and flooding.
Austria and the Czech Republic were hit the hardest, with both regions experiencing up to three times their typical rainfall for the entire month of September in just one week. According to the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), areas near Vienna in eastern Austria saw 215 millimeters (8.5 inches) of rain over the course of the storm. While the heaviest rainfall occurred in specific regions, the storm's consequences rippled far beyond these areas.
By September 18, water levels along the Oder River in southeastern Poland surged past the highest alert category established by the country’s meteorological institute. The Oder River, which originates in the Czech Republic and flows through Poland and into Germany, overflowed near the city of Wrocław, flooding surrounding farmlands. NASA's Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured false-color satellite images, clearly showing the extent of the flooding. The contrast between images taken before the storm, on September 4, and after, on September 20, highlights the scale of the destruction.
The storm's impact was also felt in Slovakia, where the Danube River burst its banks, sending floodwaters into the capital city of Bratislava. On September 21, Landsat 9’s OLI-2 captured images of the inundated areas. The flooding was the worst the city had experienced in 30 years, according to local news reports, forcing dozens of residents to evacuate.
In Poland, the small mountain town of Stronie Śląskie near the Czech border faced a dire situation when a dam burst, unleashing deadly floodwaters. The floods spread across central and eastern Europe and even into parts of Italy. As of September 20, more than 25,000 people had been displaced due to the flooding, according to the European Union's Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).
Before Flood
After Flood
The events of September 2024 serve as a stark reminder of the growing threat posed by extreme weather events, exacerbated by climate change. As these disasters become more frequent and intense, European nations must bolster their flood defenses and enhance their disaster response strategies to protect vulnerable communities.
The devastating floods of September 2024 underscore the urgency of addressing the impacts of climate change. The rising frequency of extreme weather events like Storm Boris signals the need for global cooperation in mitigating climate risks. As central and eastern Europe rebuilds from the destruction, it is clear that future preparedness will be key in minimizing the damage caused by such natural disasters.
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