Posted on 04/04/2006 12:26:43 AM PDT by FairOpinion
The Danube last week flexed its muscles and demonstrated that it is not a tame river, bursting its banks in the centre of Budapest and leading to the closure of roads.
The spring thaw was responsible for the rise in water levels, and riverside roads on both sides of the Danube were closed to traffic last Thursday.
Budapest Mayor Gábor Demszky put Budapest on the highest level of flood alert. Around 70,000 sandbags were installed around the most sensitive parts of the river, near Margaret Island and Római part.
The flooding also caused some difficulty to the riverside restaurants that operate near the Chain Bridge. One restaurant saw its boarding platform swamped with water, and others had to take steps to remain open. The manager of Spoon said that his restaurant had erected an access walkway.
More than six cubic kilometres of snow melted over six days in the catchment area of the Danube, and two in the area around the Tisza River, which is also rising. Police said that homes in the flood plains of both rivers should be evacuated. Flood alerts are also in force along other rivers.
The Danube was expected to rise to 804 cm by Sunday. Four years ago the river swelled to a height of 848cm, the highest level in 100 years.
so 804 cm are over 26 feet.
That's a huge rise, a foot and a half less than it's highest level in 100 years.
There is flooding in the Czeck Republic, Germany and Austria also:
Flooding Hits Several Countries in Europe
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=1800216
E. European PING
Apparently the Danube reached their previous highest level in 100 years:
BUDAPEST, April 3 (Xinhua) -- The flooding Danube river rose to 8.48 meters in Budapest on Monday, matching the historic record set during the massive floods of 2002.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2006-04/04/content_4381314.htm
Rising flood waters in Europe have forced thousands of people living in Germany and the Czech Republic to leave their homes. Here a man paddles along his street in Germany
A rescue boat takes a break from evacuating people out of flooded areas of the Moravian city of Olomouc in the Czech Republic. At least four people are thought to have died in the floods there
Prayers offered up for effective recovery efforts.
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