Anti-Flood Defences Hold Firm In Hungary
- 10 Jun 2013 9:10 AM
Flood defence works in Budapest appeared to have held out as the Danube rose to a height of 895-896cm on Sunday, exceeding the previous record set in 2006 by 35cm. “We have done what was possible, and we hope that the 6km of temporary dams at Buda’s Római Párt, the 5.5km on Margaret Island and the rain drainage system will resist,” head of Budapest flood operations György Palkó said on Sunday, a few hours before the expected peak.
Old buses and trolleys have been parked on the top of the HÉV tunnel between Margaret Bridge and Batthyány tér to counterbalance pressure from the rising Danube waters. Nearby manholes were covered with sandbags.
The Batthyány tér metro station was closed from Saturday morning. Subway trains continued to run under the Danube between Kossuth tér and Széll Kálmán tér, without stopping. The Batthyány tér station was also closed to HÉV commuter trains from Szentendre, which are running only as far as Árpád Bridge.
Water levels are expected to remain high in Budapest for several days, as the Danube is expected to withdraw into its banks on June 17 or 18.
Source: Hungary Around the Clock
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