Attachments
Description of the Event
Date of event
16-09-2024
What happened, where and when?
Since 13 September 2024, heavy rains brought by Storm Boris have caused severe flooding in southwestern Poland, particularly affecting the voivodeships of Dolnoslaskie, Opolskie, Slaskie, and Malopolskie. Rivers like the Morawka have overflowed, and some dams have collapsed, leading to widespread flooding.
On 16 September, the Council of Ministers declared a "state of natural disaster" for a period of 30 days in parts of the Lower Silesian, Opole, and Silesian voivodeships. Specifically, the areas covered by this declaration include:
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In the Lower Silesian Voivodeship – the districts of Kamienna Góra, Karkonoski, Kłodzko, Lwówecki, Wałbrzyski and Ząbkowice and cities with the rights of the district of Wałbrzych and Jelenia Góra.
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In the Opolskie Voivodeship – the districts of Głubczyce, Nysa and Prudnik and the commune of Strzeleczki in the district of Krapkowice.
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In the Silesian Voivodeship – the districts of Bielsko-Biała, Cieszyn, Pszczyna and Racibórz and the city with the rights of the Bielsko-Biała district.
The region experienced an extraordinary 400-500 mm of rainfall in just a few days, with Storm Boris delivering a month's worth of precipitation in 24 hours. This overwhelmed local rivers and reservoirs, leading to extensive flooding.
Since the onset of the crisis, the Polish Red Cross (PRC) has been actively involved, deploying teams and resources to the affected areas.
Scope and Scale
As of 19 September 2024, seven people have been confirmed dead due to the flooding. The Prime Minister's Office reported that the disaster has directly affected 57,000 people, with 6,544 residents evacuated as waters continue to rise. Property damage is extensive, with 11,502 residential buildings—both single-family homes and multi-unit structures—either flooded or damaged. Additionally, 6,033 agricultural and commercial buildings, along with 724 public-use structures, including schools, kindergartens, sports facilities, administrative buildings, bridges, and roads, have been damaged or submerged. These numbers are expected to change as the situation evolves and further assessments are carried out.
The most vulnerable groups include older people, children, people living with disabilities, and rural residents with limited access to resources and emergency services. Evacuation is especially challenging for people with limited mobility, such as the elderly and disabled, due to the swift and unpredictable nature of the floods. Children face heightened risks from disruptions to essential services like education, healthcare, and sanitation. Communities near rivers and in low-lying areas remain at greater risk of rapid flooding.
Southern Poland has experienced similar devastating floods in the past, most notably in 1997 and 2010, which caused widespread destruction and significant economic losses. These events exposed the vulnerability of the region's infrastructure, and many communities have struggled to fully recover before being affected again. The long-term impact on livelihoods, particularly in agricultural areas, can be severe, with fields, livestock, and farming equipment often destroyed, deepening the economic and social vulnerabilities of the population.