Flood Defence Efforts In Hungary In Place Along Over 200kms

  • 15 Sep 2014 9:00 AM
Flood Defence Efforts In Hungary In Place Along Over 200kms
Hungary has flood defence efforts in place along more than 200 kilometres of waterways as several rivers are flooding in western Hungary, the national technical operative unit (OMIT) reported. The highest level of flood alert is in effect on more than 13 kilometres on the Rába and Pinka rivers in the western part of the country.

Second-degree alert is in place on 56 kilometres on the Dráva river in the southeast and first-degree alert on more than 149 kilometres on the Danube, Lajta, Mura and Zala rivers and along the Principális canal.

Decisions were taken on Sunday afternoon to evacuate residents in another two locations in Zala county, and authorities plan for further evacuations should the situation worsen, György Bakondi, head of the national disaster management authority said on Sunday.

Police and disaster management staff are trying to access four communities cut off by the floods via Slovenia. Water levels in the Rába river are already receding at Szentgotthárd and trains are running again between Szombathely and Graz, Austria.

About 6,100 hectares of land has been inundated including 1,300 hectares of plough fields. National road maintenance company Magyar Közút Nonprofit said just over 50 kilometres of roads sections are closed on 22 roads - mostly secondary roads - on Sunday afternoon in Baranya, Győr- Moson-Sopron, Vas and Zala counties.

The national weather service said further heavy rain is expected on Monday with the exception of the northeastern parts of the country.

Source www.hungarymatters.hu

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MTI photo: Varga György

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