Heavy rains have been causing the levels of certain rivers in the Czech Republic to rise. The meteorologists have warned for heavy rainfall, effective for the Šumava, Krkonoše, and Jizerské mountains until Thursday morning. Recently, the Vltava River in Krumlov has risen to the third level multiple times.
After heavy rainfall overnight into Wednesday, the levels of some rivers have risen in the southwest of the Czech Republic. Otava rose to the third level of flood activity, and according to hydrometeorologists, floods may threaten its upper course after further rainfall. “If we consider a flood to be the exceeding of the third level, then it could threaten the upper course of Otava by tomorrow,” said Tomáš Vlasák of the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute in České Budějovice.
Vlasák pointed out that precipitation should be in the Šumava during Wednesday and then heavier overnight into Thursday. “Increases in levels should primarily affect Otava and the tributaries to Lipno,” Vlasák stated.
A flood staff has already met in Sušice, where Otava was at the second level on Wednesday morning. Besides the city management, firefighters and police officers also took part. “We have been monitoring the development since three o’clock. The model for tomorrow morning, when we are to get just below the limit of extreme flooding, worries me,” commented the mayor of Sušice, Petr Mottl (ODS), adding that he hopes the forecasts will not come true. “However, we are informing residents who live around the river about the danger. We are still monitoring the water level,” he added.
The second flood level was on the Elbe in Vestřev in the Trutnov region, on Bystřice in Rohoznice in the Jičín region, and on Cidlině in Jičín in the morning. At eight other locations, the first flood level was declared. In Vestřev, the Elbe briefly rose to the third, highest level at night. So far, the swollen rivers have not caused any damage.