Poland Flooding: Crisis Situation Worsening

[IcedEcliptic]

Free cow! I shouldn't laugh, but thanks for some good humor in a bad situation. :)

Amazing picture.

 

[Borek]

Water still high in Warsaw, and it raises up in northern Poland, but definitely lower around Kraków. Many leaks, but these are taken care off as needed, luckily no new breaches apart from those two large ones I have mentioned earlier. Up to now 15 known casualties.

I am writing mostly about things that happen around Wisła, while second largest river in Poland - Odra - is high as well and it flooded cities. From the media reports I have a feeling situation there looks a little bit better. These areas were heavily destroyed in 1997, at the time Wisła, especially in its lower part, was relatively low.

According to this map:

http://pl.wikipedia.org/w/index.php...a_flood_area.jpg&filetimestamp=20100523062526

place where I live (upper right, at the lower end of the red line) can be flooded even by so called twenty-years water (not sure how it should be properly called in English, what I mean is level of water that happens on average once in every 20 years). Dashed area is 20-years water, light green - 100-years water, magenta - 1000-years water. Water level this year is somewhere between 100/1000. I wasn't aware I live THAT low

 

[turbo]

You got it pretty close, Borek. Here, flood stages are labeled by interval. In 1987, the Kennebec river (with the help of some swollen tributaries) reached levels that the public-safety authorities called a 500-year flood. It took out an iron railroad trestle that had stood for probably 150 years or more, took out highway bridges and some dams. Quite devastating. It happened on April Fool's day, after some torrential rains in the western mountains melted much of the snow-pack, sending the Sandy River, and the Carrabassett over their banks, and south of where they join the Kennebec, the small hydro impoundments were quickly over-filled. Most of the Weston Dam in Skowhegan was under water.

 

[Borek]

Water is still not low here and some places are still under water - and it is raining again. They predict flood wave will be about 1m lower than two weeks ago; that's still way too high

 

[turbo]

Water is still not low here and some places are still under water - and it is raining again. They predict flood wave will be about 1m lower than two weeks ago; that's still way too high

Probably very bad news for farmers with bottom-land. Their planting season will be pushed back another month or so, and the loss of crops will result in higher food prices. Good luck with the water, though it appears that Poland is fresh out of luck right now.

 

[Borek]

Parts of city of Sandomierz are evacuated again.

 

[Borek]

City of Jasło under water, water in Warsaw already going up, about 50 cm since the morning. But it is still below warning level here.

 

[OmCheeto]

City of Jasło under water, water in Warsaw already going up, about 50 cm since the morning. But it is still below warning level here.

I was just thinking of you a moment ago, and here you are. Google Earth shows the sky is clear over Poland.

Any indication when the water is to go down?

 

[Borek]

This wave is expected to be shorter and definitely lower, still high enough to be dangerous, especially as levees are still soaked and - in the places where they were broken - they were not rebuild yet. Highest water in Warsaw is expected somewhere around Wednesday.

 

[SonjaJeane]

Borek, I am curious about Jaslo specifically, as I have relatives there and in a neighboring village - Jablonica. I am wondering how I would help - what to send

 

[Borek]

Hard to tell if you don't know their exact situation. From what I hear food and water are no problem, there is enough help being sent into the area by gov and charities. Note that things you may send can be able to reach addressee - not only post doesn't work there, but some people are relocated, so they will have to be found first. Try to contact them first.

You may also send money to - for example - Polish Caritas (http://www.caritas.pl/), that will help not just your family, but all victims. Unfortunately their page is in Polish only, but I can translate important parts if you need assistance.

 

[Borek]

Water in Wisła river (Vistula) in Warsaw goes up all the time, city of Sandomierz is again under water, many smaller places are flooded either for the first time or for the second time.

However, few hours ago I have learned that at the moment it is not Wisła that we should be afraid of, but out own ditch, less than 100 meters from here. If you have seen my place at Google Earth ditch is just north to the residential district we live in. Water in the ditch is well above the ground level, that is probably effect of two large thunderstorms from the last week.

We live in the white houses on the left, somewhere behind the trees.

So far so good, water in the ditch goes down, the weakest points are on the other side - and there are less houses there, so in case anything happens loses should be smaller. But let's hope nothing happens.

5 km from here ditch enters Kanał Żerański (Żerański Channel):

Water flows only in one direction, as on the other end it is blocked by closed lock, channel is usually over the Wisła level.

 

[OmCheeto]

We have some of our best people working your situation:

Red neck solution to flooding problem.

Stay high and dry!

 

[Borek]

Contrary to initial predictions water in some places is higher than in May. Levees broke in several new places. Highest water expected in Warsaw tomorrow. I haven't seen our ditch yet, but there is no water in my backyard yet, so it probably holds.

Yesterday Marzena told me she is decided to not wash the floor in the kitchen - she will wait for water from the outside

 

[Borek]

Just checked - water in the ditch is at least a meter lower than yesterday. Still relatively high, but not as bad. Wisła is raising all the time, it is already above alarm level in Warsaw, highest level expected tomorrow night. As if it was not enough, it may rain again - forecasts say about "possible thunderstorms".

 

[turbo]

Not good. The torrential rains that we had over the weekend (~4" in 2 days) would have wrecked your chances.

Best wishes...

 

[Borek]

Highest water passed Warsaw tonight, it was finally about a feet lower than in May. There were some leaks (not on our side) but situation seems to be under control. No new reports about breaks.

 

[turbo]

Highest water passed Warsaw tonight, it was finally about a feet lower than in May. There were some leaks (not on our side) but situation seems to be under control. No new reports about breaks.

Good news. (Now, hope for a dry spell.)

 

[OmCheeto]

Highest water passed Warsaw tonight, it was finally about a feet lower than in May. There were some leaks (not on our side) but situation seems to be under control. No new reports about breaks.

The rainfall here has been unusual also. And that says a lot, since it is always raining here.

Tuesday, June 8th - 8:00pm
Rain has already started on the coast and will arrive in the Portland area later tonight. We need just .84" of an inch of rain to make this the wettest June ever in Portland. I think we'll pick up somewhere between .75" to .90" between tonight and Thursday.

Though the big river is still 9 feet away from the 1996 level.

Ooops. Make that http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?14128870" , at the moment.

hmmm...

Actually, usable fresh water is as big a problem as oil. Except, in the case of water, the problem is that the water always seems to be in the places that don't need it and never in the places that really need it.

Borek!

Put up a sign:

Free water!

U-haul

 

[Borek]

OK, water is going down - it is still high down the river, closer to the sea, so it still can break levees somewhere, but as of today situation looks rather good. That is - not for those flooded, as they are still struggling. After being flooded they are now eaten by mosquitoes - a lot of shallow water and buggers multiply in incredible quantities. Luckily they are not spreading any diseases in Poland (well, I have heard cases of Nile fever or something like that are possible, but they should be rare).

Now, back to our ditch.

That was high water on June 6^th. What you see on the picture is already about half feet lower than the maximum level. We live in the white houses, somewhere behind the trees to the left, about 200 meters from the bridge. I am not sure, but from our estimates water level was above the fence.

This was taken today. I had to take picture from different place, so that you could see water level. That's about average water level here.

 

[Borek]

Water is still standing in some places in Poland, however, here in Warsaw it never get past levees and as of today it is classified as "average". In my almost 50 years Warsaw experience I would classify it as a "high average".

May 22^nd:

June 22^nd:

 

[lisab]

Well let's look at the bright side: it gives graffiti artists a chance to get to those hard-to-reach places...provided they have a canoe.

 

[Borek]

"Gdzie jest Ola?" means "Where is Ola?" - and Ola is a female name

 

[Borek]

Flood again, this time much more localized (small area) and very fast. City of Bogatynia is already flooded, in a few minutes high water is expected in Zgorzelec (after dam has broken in Niedów).

 

[waht]

Moscow seems to be covered in intense smog from large forest fires. Is there any indication that the smog is blowing west to Poland?

 

[Borek]

As far as I can tell no traces of the Russian smog here.

At least I have not heard any reports and smelled no smoke lately. Not that I would be able to differentiate between Russian smoke and Polish smoke.

 

[turbo]

When there are forest fires in the province of Quebec, prevailing winds bring the smoke here, and you would swear that there was a forest fire near your house. It's pretty pungent.