The Prime Minister began his speech by thanking the people in the affected areas, as well as the authorities and everybody involved in providing assistance.

“Without this valiant effort of tens of thousands of people in these areas, as well as the hundreds of thousands of people who are showing solidarity in various ways, helping with the disaster relief, we would not have stood a chance against this biggest downpour in history,”

said the Prime Minister.

Many houses and flats were damaged during the floods, along with roads, bridges, schools, clinics, and the hospital in Nysa; however, thanks to people's efforts, the extent of the damage is much lower compared to the 1997 floods.

“According to preliminary assessments, the total number of damaged and flooded dwellings will be a tenth of the figure for 1997, in spite of the biggest flood in history,”

Donald Tusk informed.

Thanks to the efforts of local populace and state services, many villages were saved. The state also managed to save large cities such as Wrocław and Opole.

“When we had another meeting in Wrocław this morning, I could see the relief on the face of the voivode and the Mayor of Wrocław, after they confirmed that the emergency water level on the Oder in Wrocław was a thing of the past,”

the Prime Minister noted.

From the beginning, the Prime Minister and other ministers monitored the situation in areas threatened by the flood, including Kłodzko, Głuchołazy, Nysa, Jelenia Góra, Wrocław, Głogów, Nowa Sól and Szczecin.

The state sprung to action in a matter of hours after the alarming forecasts released by the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management concerning heavy rainfall. Local crisis centres, as well as emergency meetings involving the Government Security Centre, the Ministry of the Interior and other authorities, had already been established on Wednesday 11 September.

“On 11 September, the GSC sent a threat alert to the general populace. Immediately after this information, I convened a briefing with the authorities and voivodes, instructing them to take all measures to prepare for the floods,"

said Tomasz Siemioniak, Minister of the Interior and Administration.

On 12 September, another emergency meeting was held, this time chaired by Minister Siemoniak. The next meeting on 13 September was chaired by the Prime Minister.

“On Friday, the morning forecast said that the rainfall would not be as high as predicted on the day before. In the evening, the forecasts got worse,"

Donald Tusk explained.

From the first moments, the government did not underestimate the forecasts and warnings and took measures to secure the areas at risk.

“Starting on day one, we urged all residents to listen to the evacuation orders issued by the Fire Service and the Police. From the first hours the Fire Service, the Police and the military were getting to the areas at risk of flooding,"

the Prime Minister noted.

Soldiers from the Territorial Defence Forces were also involved from the very beginning.

“The Polish military has been involved from the first hours, protecting the life and health of the population, as well as aiding with the disaster response,”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said in the Parliament.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that the timeline of actions taken before and during the floods would be compiled.

The Fire Service, the military and the Police were on standby even before the floods started. The authorities were securing key areas and ensuring the safety of residents.

“The first few hours involved rescue efforts. . . . Above all, we had to save people's lives, health and their belongings. This was the first, most difficult phase,”

stated the Prime Minister.

The second phase involved immediate support. The government has secured funds for the clean-up efforts, enabling all affected individuals to receive 10,000 PLN in immediate aid.

“As of today, more than 30,000 of these grants have been paid out in a matter of days. . . . We are not going to run out of funds for this purpose,”

the Prime Minister stated.

Flood victims can also receive a non-refundable subsidy of up to 100,000 PLN for repairing and rebuilding any farm buildings. In the case of residential buildings, they can apply for up to 200,000 PLN.

“”Wherever it is deemed necessary to rebuild the building from the ground up, or to relocate residents from flood plains, and where rebuilding will not make sense, the state will take on the organisational and financial effort,”

the Prime Minister assured.

Yesterday, the Council of Ministers adopted a draft law featuring provisions that facilitate clean-up after the flood and supporting the people affected by the disaster.

The government has earmarked funds in the state budget to help those affected by the floods. The European Commission will also release funding to the tune of 20 billion PLN, all while ministries are mobilising their own reserves.

“On Saturday, we will amend the draft budget bill. At the moment, we have around 23 billion PLN for mitigation, emergency aid, financial aid, infrastructure repair, as well as for the Rebuilding+ scheme,”

the Prime Minister noted.

Any person who lost their home can count on state assistance. No one will be left without a safe haven.

“We need to provide temporary accommodation - modular homes, containers, as well as hotels covered by the state,"

Donald Tusk stated.

The Prime Minister assured that the Fire Service and the military would continue to help with the flood relief.

“The people are going to be there on the ground for as long as necessary, until the disaster relief operation ends,”

the Prime Minister stated.

The Rebuilding+ scheme envisages the construction of new infrastructure in the affected areas to ensure their safety in the future.

The crisis meetings that took place in southern and western Poland were broadcast by the media. This allowed everyone to listen to up-to-date information on the efforts of the government, local governments and the authorities, as well as the current meteorological and hydrological situation.

“I have done my best to ensure that information on the flood situation is available at least twice a day to all whom it may have concerned. This was necessary due to the wave of disinformation that could hinder the efforts of the authorities,"

the Prime Minister noted.

The Internal Security Agency has also been involved in securing the dissemination of information. As part of its efforts, the ISA officers have detained a person spreading fake news about blowing up embankments. Social media accounts publishing disinformation related to the floods in Poland were also noted.

The biggest heroes of the last few days are the firefighters, soldiers and police officers who have been ensuring the safety of residents around the clock.

“At this point 25,000 troops are still deployed, and 20,000 of them are directly involved in the relief operation. At the peak, more than 25,000 soldiers were directly involved in disaster response and recovery efforts,"

the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence noted.

The operation saw the deployment of more than 1,300 units. Engineering troops were also involved in efforts to clear 129 kilometres of roads and inspecting 27 damaged bridges. 125 patrol and transport flights were carried out. 4,539 people were evacuated, 98 with helicopters.

“The military is active in all areas, and its efforts also include serving meals. Since the start of the relief operation,18,000 meals have been served to civilians and 27,000 litres of bottled water have been distributed. 48 military tankers have so far delivered about 1.4 million litres of water to the affected villages."

Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz announced.

All authorities worked together with one goal in mind. The operation will continue for as long as it is necessary.

The government has also been involved in the disaster response and relief efforts. Fourteen ministers briefed the Parliament on their activities to date.