Strong storms and relentless rain cause mass disruption across Czechia

Firefighters in the Czech Republic were busy this weekend as they responded to 878 incidents caused by severe storms, with the highest number of interventions taking place in the Central Bohemia region.

According to Lucie Pipiš, spokeswoman for the Czech Fire and Rescue Service, the majority of the incidents involved removing fallen trees and pumping water from flooded areas. The storms, which brought torrential rain, caused damage and chaos across the country, with the worst-hit areas including Prachatice (South Bohemia), Rokycany (Pilsen), and Prague.

"Our recorded the largest number of incidents in the Central Bohemia region, with 289 interventions taking place there. As of midnight today [Sunday night], firefighters in Prague were also busy, responding to 142 weather-related incidents," said Pipiš.

The storms, which began on Sunday and continued overnight, resulted in violent winds and heavy rain, causing problems for transportation and leading to the postponement of events such as the opening concert of the Špilberk Festival in Brno. The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ) reported over 80 millimeters of rain in some areas, causing damage to roads, houses, and other infrastructure.

In Stachy (South Bohemia), the storms caused severe flooding and damage to roads, sidewalks, and sewers. "If we take the damage to municipal and private property, the amount will certainly be in the millions of crowns," said Petr Lampa, mayor of Stachy.

The Hradec Králové region also saw its share of damage, with over 100 interventions by firefighters due to the storms. "Firefighters carried out the most interventions in Hradec Králové and the surrounding area, mostly involving pumping water from flooded areas," said a spokesperson for the fire department.

The Pardubice and South Bohemian regions were also affected, with firefighters responding to numerous incidents of flooded houses and roads. "We have water everywhere," said Pavel Kohout, mayor of Opatovice nad Labem in Pardubice. "About 80 percent of the village's territory depends on pumping water, and that's a problem. We need to pump out the subways and other places today."

As of this morning, the situation has calmed down, with only a few more interventions expected throughout the day. The levels of smaller streams, such as the Botič river in Jesenice-Kocanda, have returned to normal. The ČHMÚ says there is currently no flood or storm warning, with only mild amounts of rainfall expected this week, mainly in the south of the country.

The storms and floods may evoke memories of the August 2002 mass Prague floods, though the events of over two decades ago were on a gargantuan scale.