Hungarian Solidarity Overcoming Flood Of The Century

  • 14 Jun 2013 9:00 AM
Hungarian Solidarity Overcoming Flood Of The Century
By Ferenc Kumin: Since my update last week, the Danube in northern Hungary and Budapest is receding and the high waters of the greatest flood ever recorded in Hungary are moving towards the southern borders of the country. Thanks to the hard work of more than 10 thousand emergency response unit members, policemen, firemen and army personnel, and most importantly, another 10 thousand volunteers, there were no fatalities due to the flood.

 At this point, we can say that unlike other regions affected by the flood, the loss in Hungary is only in property damage. News reports from upriver indicate that tens of thousands of people had to leave their homes, but in Hungary only 1,565 had to be evacuated.

More than 9.5 million sandbags were filled on the 807 kilometers long defense line. An official telephone hotline was set up, and as of this writing donations have reached a staggering 133 million Hungarian forints (about 450 thousand euros, or 600 thousand US dollars).

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has been constantly on the road, visiting numerous sites along the dykes to have a firsthand look at the needs of the local defense effort, show support and appreciation for the workers and speed urgent decision-making.

The authorities and media organizations have also done a great job about keeping people informed. People directly affected by the flood were notified locally and personally and the general public was also kept up to date by public and private media. Hungarian public radio launched a separate channel called Árvíz FM (or, Flood FM) to broadcast up-to-the-minute news. The prime minister gave press briefings daily, sometimes twice daily. Volunteers were organized effectively over Facebook and officially by the Hungarian National Directorate for Disaster Management.

“We have two more tough days ahead of us,” Prime Minister Orban said Monday morning, and as I write this post, the government is preparing for post-flood restoration works and defending dykes on the southern stretches of the river. The flood is receding slowly, but we are expecting the crest to leave the country on Thursday night or Friday. Yet, defense efforts will not be over then. Hungary has offered help and expertise to Serbia, if needed. Also, there is a slight possibility that the flooding Danube will raise water levels on the Tisza River just north of its confluence with the Danube in Serbia.

The hardest and most worrisome part of the work though is slowly winding down, and soon we will have time for a more thorough appraisal. But the first order of business should be thanks and praise for the tremendous defense effort and the unity and solidarity the country has shown in the face of this natural disaster.

Source: A Blog About Hungary

  • How does this content make you feel?