Flooding in Central Europe leaves at least 17 dead
Storm Boris hit Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria


What happened
At least eight people died Monday in flooding throughout Central Europe, bringing the death toll to at least 17 in Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria since slow-moving Storm Boris hit the region Friday. Swollen rivers have swamped towns, broken through dams and destroyed bridges. In the Polish city of Nysa, the BBC said, the mayor urged all 44,000 residents to head to higher ground.
Who said what
"Please evacuate your belongings, yourselves, your loved ones," Nysa Mayor Kordian Kolbiarz said Monday. If the embankment fails, "the whole town will be flooded." In eastern Romania, the mayor of Slobozia Conachi, Emil Dragomir, said any visitor "would cry instantly, because people are desperate, their whole life's work is gone." The mayor of Budapest said the Hungarian capital is preparing for the worst flooding in a decade.
Boris, which "unleashed several months' worth of rain in just a few days," was spawned by a "rare combination" of unusually cold air from Western Europe mixing with unseasonably warm, humid air from the east, The Washington Post said. "Human-caused climate change probably intensified the ensuing deluge," because warm air holds more moisture.
What next?
Conditions have "stabilized" in some areas, while other parts of Europe are "bracing themselves for more disruption and danger" from the storm, the BBC said. Rain is likely to continue through Tuesday in Austria, the Czech Republic and southeast Germany before moving south to Italy, where heavy downpours are expected in Emilia-Romagna.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
-
Art Review: Hilma af Klint's What Stands Behind the Flowers
Feature Museum of Modern Art, New York City, through Sept. 27
-
Not just a number: how aging rates vary by country
The explainer Inequality is a key factor
-
'There will be a market incentive to build wind and solar anyway'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
Why are flash floods in Texas so deadly?
Today's Big Question Over 100 people, including 27 girls at a summer camp, died in recent flooding
-
Search for survivors continues after Texas floods
Speed Read A total of 82 people are confirmed dead, including 28 children
-
Parts of California are sinking and affecting sea level
Under the radar Climate change is bringing the land to the sea
-
At least 95 dead in Spain flash floods
Speed Read Torrential rainfall caused the country's worst flooding since 1996
-
Florida braces for Milton as FEMA tackles Helene, lies
Speed Read A flurry of misinformation has been spread about the federal response to Hurricane Helene
-
Colombo's wetlands: how the 'lungs' of Sri Lanka's capital are being restored
Under the radar The revival of the ecosystems could prove a 'valuable lesson' for the world
-
Hurricane Helene death toll rises, North Carolina reels
Speed Read At least 95 are dead following catastrophic flooding
-
Hurricane Helene storms Florida's Big Bend
Speed Read Helene is among the biggest hurricanes to ever strike the Gulf Coast