Hungary braces for record flood

Budapest on Monday at somewhere around 9 meters, higher than the 8.75 metres originally estimated. To date, the record height in Budapest was 8.60 metres, set in 2006. Yesterday morning the Danube at Budapest was 7.92 metres.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, speaking in the western city of Gyor early in the day, also called on the whole country to co-operate in combating the flood waters.
Several hundred people have been called on to evacuate homes located in the floodplains and as many as 55 000 people may have to be moved, the prime minister said.

Sandbags and other temporary dikes have gone up in vulnerable areas including several residential areas of Budapest and Margaret Island, a public park in the center of the city.
Two hotels, located on the island, have been vacated. Elsewhere, people living along the riverbank have been warned that the electricity will be turned off as a precautionary measure.

One Budapest subway station has been closed down because the entrance is too close to the Danube and water could spill in from above.
Some rail lines have been closed down, and others are operating at low speeds through areas where rising waters may wash out the soil supporting the ties.

One temporary dike, in the city of Gyor, slipped out of place early yesterday and several hundred people are at work reinforcing it.
The Danube is still some 80 centimetres below the top of the dike, and is steadily rising.

In Budapest the Danube has already risen above the lower flood banks but is far below the upper ones, designed and built in the late 19th century.
The 2 850km long Danube is Europe’s second longest river following the Volga. It flows through 10 European countries.

Currently flood defences are in place along 760km of river front in Hungary alone, the National Technology Management Corps (OMIT) told local wire service MTI yesterday.
The most highly threatened section is 62 kilometres around the western city of Gyor where the damaged dike is located.

Several localities have already reported water levels already exceeding the previous record, set in 2002. — Xinhua.