Prime Minister Tusk convened a crisis centre meeting in Wrocław to discuss the current flood situation. The briefing was attended by Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of National Defence Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz, Minister of the Interior and Administration Tomasz Siemoniak, Minister of Infrastructure Dariusz Klimczak, voivodes from flood-affected areas, representatives of the police, fire service and the military - including the Territorial Defence Forces, representatives of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management, the Government Strategic Reserves Agency, as well as Polish Waters.

“As far as the government is concerned, we will do our best to coordinate our response and mobilise all officials, volunteers and authorities to ensure the best and most effective support,”

the Prime Minister noted during the meeting.

On Wednesday (11.09), crisis centres were established at all levels of local governments in order to develop response scenarios. The Prime Minister urged everybody involved in the ongoing crisis response efforts to verify all information.

The Council of Ministers passed the regulation declaring the state of natural disaster in parts of the Lower Silesian, Opole and Silesian voivodeships.

“We have declared a state of natural disaster, which will remain in force for 30 days, starting today,”

the Prime Minister stated.

The list of areas covered by the new regulation include:

• in Lower Silesia - the districts of Kamienna Góra, Karkonosze, Kłodzko, Lwówek, Wałbrzych and Ząbkowice, as well as the cities of Wałbrzych and Jelenia Góra;
• in the Opole voivodeship - Głubczyce, Nysa and Prudnik districts, as well as Strzeleczki municipality in Krapkowice district;
• in the Silesian voivodeship - the districts of Bielsko-Biała, Cieszyn, Pszczyna and Racibórz, as well as the city of Bielsko-Biała.

The situation in other municipalities and districts is being monitored on an ongoing basis. The list may be further expanded, should the need arise.

We are making sure that we are able to respond in a flexible manner, as the situation remains highly dynamic in some areas. The Lwówek district was added at the last minute due to the dam situation and the issues with the power station, as well as the surrounding towns and villages,”

Donald Tusk stated.

The declaration of the state of natural disaster will allow authorities to effectively protect people’s lives, health and property.

The government decided to increase the amount of subsidies that people affected by the floods can apply for. The emergency social benefit was increased to 8,000 PLN. People affected by the flood can also apply for a 2,000 PLN flood benefit, for a total of 10,000 PLN.

“We are making sure that the procedures are as streamlined as possible for applicants. The mayors and the social welfare centres will be tasked with providing this assistance as quickly as possible. . . . Keep in mind that it is above all about making sure that this support is as quick as possible,”

the Prime Minister pointed out.

Non-refundable financial assistance of 100 000 PLN will also be provided for housing repairs and restoring farm buildings. An additional 200 000 PLN subsidy will be available for rebuilding residential buildings.

“The Minister of Finance has informed me that we were able to earmark a billion PLN for that purpose. . . .The funding for immediate and long-term support is secured. This is very important to us - both the simplicity, speed and certainty of funding,”

the Prime Minister pointed out.

Work is underway to introduce a 0% VAT rate on donations of goods and services provided to flood victims.

The State Fire Service, the Volunteer Fire Service, the Polish Army and the Police are working together to secure the affected areas and clean up the damage. The public prosecutor's office and the Police warned that looters will face the full extent of the possible legal consequences in order to protect the property left behind by people who had to leave their homes.

“The Attorney General has assured me that any such case will be prosecuted  - within the bounds of the law, of course - and will be treated as a crime deserving the harshest punishment. The police are also ready to act quickly,”

the Prime Minister stated.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk assured that funds to pay firefighters’ overtime pay will also be secured. This also concerns other authorities. The funds will be paid out based on the relevant records.

“Of course, this will start with the Fire Service, but we will collect the records from all the involved services. I am talking about all the people working on the embankments, in cities, towns and villages, working really hard around the clock. We want to reimburse their work and exceptional effort,”

said the Prime Minister.

Orlen supports firefighters and police officers by providing free fuel in flood-stricken areas.

“I personally confirmed that Orlen is providing fuel for free in the Opole, Silesian and Lower Silesian voivodeships, as well as at selected petrol stations in the Lesser Poland voivodeships. The free fuel is available to the Fire Service - both state and volunteer one - as well as police units taking part in disaster response,”

the Prime Minister noted.

The situation in the Czech-Polish border area is constantly monitored from the air.

During a conversation with Mr. Tusk, the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen suggested activating the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Other countries also extended their offers of support.

“The Civil Protection Mechanism allows us to request various kinds of aid and support - manpower, equipment and so on. . . . I understand that we are holding on for the time being and that there is no need for international assistance - for now,”

Donald Tusk informed.

The Prime Minister is in regular contact with his counterparts in other countries affected by the floods. During a break, he had a conversation with Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico.

The situation keeps changing all the time. Some people see it as an opportunity to chase cheap thrills, endangering themselves and others in the process. Following the meeting, relevant resolutions will be adopted to keep embankments and dykes off limits.

“We have declared the state of natural disaster, because it will allow us to prohibit people from entering the embankments - with the exception of first responders, of course,”

the Prime Minister stated.

The next meeting with the Prime Minister is scheduled for 7:00 a.m. tomorrow.