This summer in Europe has been characterised by extreme weather, with blistering heatwaves in Greece and storms in Switzerland, Italy and France in July alone.
Now, parts of central Europe including Poland, Czechia and Slovakia have been engulfed by extreme floods after a month’s worth of rain fell in just 24 hours over the weekend. Storm Boris has led to road closures, power outages and up to 21 deaths so far. The storm is now headed towards Italy, with the country’s meteorological service issuing alerts.
So, here’s everything you need to know about travelling to the affected regions and how to help.
Where’s the flooding in Europe?
Storm Boris has caused catastrophic damage across countries in Eastern and Central Europe, including Poland, Romania, Austria, Czechia, Hungary and Slovakia. The worst-affected areas include the border between Poland and Czechia, as well as Austria and Romania.
In Austria, the region surrounding Vienna has been declared a disaster zone, while people have drowned in Poland and Romania. An entire Polish city of 44,000 was evacuated, and several people have been reported missing in Czechia. Hundreds of houses have been destroyed.
As of Wednesday September 18, the storm appears to be moving towards Italy, with the meteorological service issuing warnings for the regions of Emilia-Romagna and Lazio.
Storm Boris map
Where is Storm Boris? Here are the countries worst affected by the flooding.
Is it safe to travel?
The UK government has not issued any official advice against travelling to the affected regions, though they have added extra information on flooding to their pages on Poland and Austria. As for Italy, advice for flooding says: ‘Monitor local media, weather reports and follow the advice of local authorities in affected areas.’
If you’re worried about travelling, your best bet would be to contact your trip provider to see what can be done.
Austria flood travel warning
In Austria, there have been warnings about road closures and disruptions to public transport in the country’s eastern region. Travellers are urged to check road traffic information and updates from Austrian Railways and Vienna public transport before travelling.
What are my rights as a traveller?
Move to a safe area as soon as possible if you find yourself in a high-risk area, and always follow the advice of authorities. If that costs you, your travel insurer should reimburse you, according to the Independent, as long as you don’t venture into a devastated area. As for those on package holidays, check directly with your travel provider.
How to help
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are responding to the floods – you can donate to IFRC here.
The Czech Salvation Army are supporting the homeless during the floods. Donate to the Salvation Army here.
GlobalGiving has a Storm Boris relief fund which you can donate to here.
For a full list of Czech charities responding to the floods, head to expats.cz.
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