Water management experts conducted a range of protective measures over the weekend which included closing off vents and sluice gates, preparing water production facilities for safe flood operations and putting moorings in place, he said on Facebook.

The mayor noted that the embankments on both sides of the Danube will be closed to traffic from 8pm on Monday, and the owners of the cars parked there have been asked to move their vehicles.



According to forecasts the Danube will reach the lower embankment on Tuesday morning, he said.

Meanwhile, the Budapest water works, the disaster management authority and subcontractors assisting the defence work will be making one million sand bags available, approximately 800,000 of which will be used on Margaret Island.

To ensure the smooth operation of protection efforts, the island's protected zone will be closed to vehicle traffic and pedestrian traffic will also be restricted from 8am on Tuesday, he added.

Traffic restrictions will also apply on Nanasi and Kiralyok Road in northern Buda because of the delivery of the materials needed for the four-kilometre clay dyke being built there, the mayor said.

Pinter: Preparations for Flood Protection at 'One Hundred Percent'

Preparations for flood protection have reached "one hundred percent" across the entirety of Hungary, the interior minister said.

Measures implemented so far will ensure that the water of the Danube river can be confined and kept between its barriers, Sandor Pinter told a press conference.

In the case of other rivers, the measures may include the temporary opening of reservoirs in order to protect residents, their property and land against flood water, he said.

Protection operations are carried out with the participation of water management authorities, the armed forces, police, prison management and the national disaster management chief directorate, Pinter said, adding that municipalities and the ambulance services were also on alert.

Meanwhile, the prime minister has convened the operative body for flood protection, the minister said, adding that its work was coordinated by the national disaster management authority backed by national water management authority providing expertise.

The Hungarian army is also participating in flood protection with 12,000 people, equipment including helicopters and convicts who volunteer, he said.

Pinter asked municipalities to set up flood defence committees, adding that sandbags, vehicles and other equipment would be provided by the central operative body.

The flood situation will be evaluated early in the morning on the basis of overnight data every day and steps will be taken accordingly, he said.

Floods - Govt Spox: Levee North of Budapest to Be Reinforced With 1,000 Tonnes of Rocks

The levee along the Danube riverbank at Szigetmonostor, north of Budapest, will be reinforced with 1,000 tonnes of rocks, the government spokeswoman said.

According to the latest forecasts, the Danube will peak at Budapest at 860cm, Eszter Vitalyos said on Facebook after a meeting of the Pest County defence committee, noting that the river had peaked at 891cm in the 2013 flood.

One of the critical points in the county's number 3 electoral district, which Vitalyos represents, is the levee at the God ferry crossing at Szigetmonostor, which will be reinforced with 1,000 tonnes of rocks, the spokeswoman said.

She asked the disaster management authority to intervene on the lower sections of highway 11.

Official: Govt Supporting Local Councils in Flood Defence

The state is providing local councils with professional, logistical, material and financial assistance in their flood protection efforts, the parliamentary state secretary of the interior ministry said.

The state is providing multiple forms of assistance to every locality defending against the flood, Bence Retvari told a press conference. Each locality has been assigned an expert from the water management authority with extensive knowledge on flood protection who will help organise the defence work, he said.

Also, each locality has a liaison officer from the disaster management authority to ensure the supply of the necessary materials such as sandbags, he added.

The localities' flood protection costs will be covered from the force majeure fund, the state secretary said.

Istvan Lang, the head of Hungary's Directorate of Water Management, said the recent heavy rainfall has resulted in flood waves in the catchment areas of the Danube and Leitha rivers.

The flooding of the Leitha is expected to approach or exceed the record water levels, he said, adding it was likely that an emergency reservoir will have to be opened above the north-western town of Mosonmagyarovar. The river's water will be released onto a 140-hectare agricultural area to ease the burden on the town, Lang said.

Concerning the Danube, he said that water levels at the Szigetkoz island plain in the northwest are expected to reach the near-record highs but won't affect the populated areas. He said the Danube is expected to peak on Thursday and Friday at the Szigetkoz area at Nagybacs near Komarom-Esztergom in the north, and in Budapest on Saturday and Sunday.

The peak water level is expected to be 30-40cm below the 2013 level, he said.

Zoltan Gora, who heads the National Disaster Management Directorate, said the operative bodies overseeing the protection efforts were now all up and running.

Floods - Catholic, Reformed, Baptist Charities Aiding Protection Efforts

Caritas Hungary, the Hungarian Reformed Church Aid and the Hungarian Baptist Aid are assisting the flood protection work in Hungary.

Caritas Hungary, the aid organisation of the Catholic Church, said in a statement on Monday that it is setting aside 10 million forints (EUR ) in emergency aid for the procurement of essential flood protection equipment, mitigating flood damage and supporting those in need.

The organisation is setting up a disaster base at the local parish in Nagybajcs, in north-western Hungary to coordinate the aid efforts.

It is also inviting donations at www.karitasz.hu and via the donor line 1356.

The Hungarian Reformed Church Aid said in a statement that it is assisting the flood defence work at Dunaalmas with 30 people and calling on volunteers for the coming days.

They said they will be helping out in the village of Tahi, north of Budapest, from Tuesday, and in the capital, if necessary. The organisation said it is launching a donation drive on the donor line 1358.

The Hungarian Baptist Aid and the HUBA Rescue24 organisation of firemen and rescue teams have also started flood defence work.

The aid organisation is recruiting volunteers and organising donation drives at www.baptistasegely.hu and the donor line 1355.

Floods - Orban Postpones All International Obligations

Prime Minister Viktor Orban said on Monday that he has postponed all of his international obligations due to the extreme weather conditions and the ongoing floods in Hungary.

He posted the announcement on the X social media platform.

Bertalan Havasi, the PM's press chief, told MTI that Orban had cancelled his speech at the European Parliament, a visit to Vatican City later this week, and will not attend the UN General Assembly in New York. Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto will represent Hungary at the latter, he added.

Orban Convenes Operative Body for Flood Protection

Prime Minister Viktor Orban convened a meeting of the operative body responsible for flood protection early on Monday morning, the prime minister's press chief said.

The operative body was briefed by the head of each state body involved in flood protection operations, Bertalan Havasi said. They then determined the most urgent tasks and approved the flood protection plans for the coming days.

Orban affirmed that all the technical and financial resources needed for the protection efforts are in place.

Floods - Magyar: PM Made Right Decision to Postpone Strasbourg Trip

Peter Magyar, the head of the opposition Tisza Party, on Monday said Prime Minister Viktor Orban was right to postpone his visit to Strasbourg this week.

"Accepting our recommendation, Viktor Orban cancelled his participation in the European Parliament debate in Strasbourg," Magyar said in a statement.

"This is the right decision," he said. "There is no place for political debates in such a serious flood situation, as it calls for total national unity."

Tamas Menczer, the communications director of the allied ruling Fidesz and Christian Democrat parties, responded by saying that "this government had already tackled several crises including floods, the red sludge flood, Covid, migration and others when you were still living a carefree life…"

"We will immediately let you know if we need your wise advise, but until then, please, be patient!"

Boka: Hungary Activated IPCR Crisis Response Mechanism

Hungary, as the president of the Council of the European Union, on Monday activated the EU's integrated political crisis response (IPCR) mechanism, the minister in charge of EU affairs said.

Janos Boka said on Facebook that the mechanism enabled central European member states severely affected by the extreme weather conditions and flooding to coordinate protection tasks.

The affected member states could also decide how the EU can most effectively help them carry out their tasks, he added.

The activation of the mechanism was needed because unprecedented severe weather conditions have resulted in extreme floods in several states including Austria, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania, he said. Several of these countries have announced a state of emergency, he added.

A coordination centre will meet on Tuesday morning and its work will enable experts to monitor the flood situation and specify the support needed, and generally coordinate with EU institutions, he said.

The Hungarian presidency is ready to activate the EU Civil Protection Mechanism if the member states express a need for it, he said.

Toll-free flood protection helpline
Phone: 06 80 204-240

Source: 
MTI - The Hungarian News Agency, founded in 1881.

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