As of today, the most difficult situation is seen in Lower Silesian, Opole, Silesian and Lesser Poland voivodeships. The rivers comprising the Oder and Vistula basins exceeded their warning levels. Evacuation of residents is underway in many areas. For the first time, the Racibórz Dolny reservoir was put into operation in order to stem the flood surge along the Oder River.

The situation is particularly bad in the Lower Silesian voivodeship. In Kłodzko, a meeting of the crisis centre chaired by Prime Minister Donald Tusk was held in the morning.

“In many places, the situation is still dramatic, including in the Kłodzko Basin and the Kłodzko district, in Stronie Śląskie and Lądek-Zdrój,”

the Prime Minister noted following the briefing.

A major evacuation operation took place in Stronie Śląskie. Thanks to the actions of the authorities, the residents were transported to safe parts of the city. The Prime Minister reiterated the need to comply with evacuation orders immediately.

“Unfortunately, the authorities continue to encounter situations, where some residents underestimate the level of danger and refuse to evacuate. . . On behalf of all the authorities, I urge you to immediately comply with any evacuation orders. . . Remember, if you refuse to evacuate, you may put not only yourselves, but also others in a difficult situation, as you are making their jobs harder,”

Donald Tusk stated.

The dramatic and often unpredictable weather situation might make evacuation impossible at any time.

The flooded areas are experiencing power outages. Repairs are currently impossible. Where possible, the fire service is providing generators to deliver power, at least temporarily.

“The networks are down in many areas. Mobile phones and the internet are down. We made the decision to deploy Starlink equipment, which enable basic connectivity based on Wi-Fi. This should facilitate rescue and relief operations,”

the Prime Minister noted.

He also assured that the services were on full alert, and had enough manpower, along with reserves, which can be deployed should the need arise.

“We are going to react to any situation where we will have to deploy additional firefighters or police officers. . . Disaster relief is very taxing, especially when it comes to repairing embankents. People are understandably tired,”

stated the Prime Minister.

The disaster relief efforts are carried out by state authorities, local government officials, firefighters, soldiers and police officers. The state deployed its helicopters, including a rescue Black Hawk, which has already arrived in Wrocław. Unfortunately, the flood in Kłodzko district claimed its first victim.

“We are bringing in helicopters, while the army is getting transporters ready. The current priority is to rebuild roads and ensure that the residents have food and water. We are doing everything we can in that regard,”

noted the Minister of the Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak.

The Minister announced further crisis centre briefings during the day. He also urged the residents to follow official information and alerts.