The Danube water level on the rise
The Romanian authorities have given assurances they will be able to handle the swollen Danube waters
Bogdan Matei, 24.09.2024, 13:50
Scores of people have been killed and reported missing in Central and Eastern Europe recently affected by Storm Boris. Although heavy rains ceased, swollen waters are still threatening various locations in the region, which is bearing the brunt of the latest flooding, which has also caused billions of Euros in material damage.
According to the first expert estimates, in Romania the total damage would exceed one billion Euros. Others believe the figures are optimistic and the actual damage is double or even triple.
A World Bank survey last year put the average damage caused by floods in Romania at roughly 1.7 billion Euros. Seven people have been killed and 65 thousand households affected by Storm Boris this year.
The collective trauma is lingering and many are now fearing the rising level of Europe’s largest river, the Danube, caused by the heavy rainfalls and its many tributaries.
The Danube’s rising level is not expected to cause issues to those in charge of its handling – Environment Minister Mircea Fechet said. According to him, a similar level was successfully handled in January this year and in December 2023.
The Minister and Romanian Waters experts have flown by helicopter over the areas facing a higher flooding risk. According to expert estimates, the Danube’s level for the period between September 29 and 30 is expected to hit 79-80 hundred cubic meters per second. We recall that the river caused flooding in Romania in 2006, but its level at that time stood at more than 15 thousand cubic meters per second.
Mircea Fechet: “According to the information made available by my colleagues, we aren’t going to have any problems whatsoever in Romania. The flood peak in Budapest was lower than expected, about 500 cubic meters per second, which means that for the period we are going to see this peak in Romania, on September 28 or 29, forecasts have diminished from the initial ones standing at 95 hundred meters.”
According to the latest data gleaned, the risk of serious issues on the Romanian sector of the Danube, is low, the Romanian Waters spokeswoman, Ana-Maria Agiu told Radio Romania. In turn, the president of Hydroelectrica board of directors, Karoly Borbely, said that the Danube’s rising level can be safely handled by Romania’s water installations. Mr. Borbely has also added that higher water levels also mean a significant electricity output.
(bill)
