Flooding Expected to Peak in the Capital on Saturday

Tensed work is going on everywhere along the Danube, in the Szigetköz (island on the Danube in western Hungary) the water experts are already monitoring the flooding phenomena, and in the Danube bend the sandbag reinforcements are practically finished, said the spokeswoman of the General Directorate of Water Management to M1 news channel late Thursday afternoon.

Gabriella Siklós stressed that the dams can withstand the load. In addition, she noted that the Danube’s water level had started to rise, with the river expected to reach its peak at Komárom (northern Hungary) on Friday morning and at Esztergom (northern Hungary) on Friday afternoon, about half a meter below the 2013 level.

In Budapest, the peak is likely in the afternoon hours on Saturday,

she added.

The spokeswoman underlined that the water level on the Lajta (Leitha) is also approaching the peak. The river is under emergency alert because an emergency reservoir has been opened, she noted. The reservoir is functioning well, water experts “found the right moment to open it and managed to scale the peak of the flood.”

A slow rise is expected near Budapest, the water level of the Danube will rise by about 50 centimeters until Saturday evening, after which the river will start to slowly ebb, emphasized István Láng, head of the General Directorate of Water Management. He pointed out that the flood is big and the protection is difficult. He said that although the average water level of the Danube is about 50 centimeters below the water level of the flood of 2013, the load on the protection lines is still very significant.

He also stressed that

the protection period will be longer than previously planned because the river is draining more slowly than expected.

In an interview, Zoltán Góra, Director General of the National Directorate General for Disaster Management, called the cooperation unprecedented and said that many volunteers are helping in the protection. “We have a task, we have to protect the country,” he said, indicating that the disaster management is prepared for flood protection. Both professional and voluntary staff are being trained for flood rescue, he added.

He also highlighted that the emergency services and civil protection were being mobilized to help the flood victims.

The National Directorate General for Disaster Management is providing the equipment and human resources for the protection, with the participation of professional firefighters, police, soldiers, prison staff, volunteer firefighters, ambulance organizations, and many civilians.

Zoltán Góra also drew attention to the fact that tourists looking around and taking photos in the closed areas often hindered the protection work and could even endanger their own safety. István Láng noted that disaster tourists can damage the dam, disrupt traffic and also disturb wildlife fleeing from the floodplain.

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and Dr. Tamás Sulyok, President of the Republic and Commander-in-Chief of the Hungarian Defense Forces, praised the Defense Forces for their efforts in the various flood defense operations, writes honvedelem.hu. According to Defense Minister Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky, this task is similar to an operation, which can only be carried out in a planned manner.

The designated professional, contracted and reserve personnel – currently a total of 1,936 – will continue to be on duty.

Via MTI, honvedelem.hu; Featured image via MTI/Balogh Zoltán