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Catastrophe Report 9
February 24th – July 25th 2006 |
Flood - Czech Republic, Germany, Austria
| Territory: |
|
Czech Republic, Germany, Austria |
| Region: |
|
Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg
(Germany), Upper and Lower Austria, northern, southern and eastern
Czech Republic. |
| Date: |
|
28 March – 17 April 2006 |
| Event: |
|
Flood |
| Impact: |
|
Along the Elbe in Saxony, residents were evacuated
from parts of the city of Dresden adjacent to the river, when
a dyke was breached in three places, but damage to the city
was not severe. Several towns downriver, between Dresden and
Hamburg, were also flooded following the saturation and collapse
of several dykes. The medieval town of Hizacker was particularly
badly affected, with the Elbe reaching 7.6 m above normal, and
flooding much of the Old Town. In the Czech Republic, Elbe floodwaters
inundated the city of Usti nad Labem and the historic town of
Hrensko, while flooding also occurred on the Luznice river at
Veseli nad Luznici, and on the Dyje river at Znojmo, close to
the Austrian border. In Austria, the town of Angern an de March
in Lower Austria was flooded by Danube waters. Many thousands
of people were evacuated across the region. Economic losses
are estimated at US$217 million. Insured losses are predicted
to be on the order of Euro15 million for Germany alone. |
| Summary: |
|
A combination of torrential rains and snow melt
led to extensive flooding along the Danube in Austria, the Elbe
in Germany, and a number of rivers in the Czech Republic. In
Germany, the Elbe reached almost three times its normal level,
and 13 cm higher than in the summer floods of 2002, which saw
water levels reach 150 year highs across parts of central and
eastern Europe. Most badly affected were the German States of
Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg, while in Austria, the
worst flooding occurred along the Danube in Upper and Lower
Austria. In the Czech Republic, temporary flood defences were
raised in the capital, Prague, to prevent a repeat of the devastating
2002 floods. |
| Data sources: |
|
Centre for Satellite-based Crisis Information
http://www.zki.dlr.de/applications/2006/germany/elbe_flood_2006_en.html
European Space Agency
http://earth.esa.int/ew/floods/germanyfl-apr06/
|
| Additional sources:
|
|
Dartmouth Flood Observatory
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~floods/
|
| Image: |
|
Floodwaters in Dresden following record water
levels on the River Elbe. Courtesy: Thomas Richter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Flood_dresden_april2006_004.jpg |
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