▶ Rožmberk overflows with a safety spillway. The evacuation will be decided on Wednesday — ČT24 — Czech Television

Studio ČT24: The Rožmberk pond began to spill into the landscape (source: ČT24)

The Rožmberk pond began to overflow with a safety spillway. From Wednesday, the water will flow significantly more than before. As a result, the level of Lužnice could rise, which is in a number of places below Rožmberk at the highest third flood stage. The city will decide on the eventual evacuation of Veselí nad Lužnicí on Wednesday. However, according to South Bohemian Governor Martin Kuba (ODS), the level of Lužnice below Rožmberk should not reach the level of fifty-year water, which would mean that it would not spill into the cities.

“Nothing will change for us until (Wednesday) morning. Now in Veselí nad Lužnicí, the water level is rising very slowly. When the flow of the river increases, the level will rise faster. Depending on the situation, we will decide on a possible evacuation during the day,” Vít Rada, mayor of Veselí nad Lužnicí, described the situation in the afternoon (for South Bohemia 2012). The evacuation in the city would concern thousands of residents from Alšova nábřeží and the surrounding area. It would occur at a time when there would be a threat that the water would get over the flood defenses, which are supposed to prevent fifty years of water.

The mayor of Lužnice, Tereza Širhalová, noted that the water is rising very slowly. According to her, water should not reach the village on Tuesday. “Rather, we estimate it for the night or Wednesday,” she said, adding that the spilled Rožmberk could only affect a few buildings in the village. “We estimate about ten houses and about fifteen recreational properties,” she added.

Drone footage of the spilled Rožmberk pond (source: ČT24)

The situation looks favorable, says Kuba

“For now, it looks like flood control measures might be enough. But I asked the mayors of the affected municipalities to still prepare the public for the possibility of an evacuation. However, the situation looks favorable,” Governor Kuba said after the evening meeting of the regional flood commission.

“Rožmberk helped us a lot by holding back the water,” said Kuba. The largest Czech pond can hold several million cubic meters of water. After crossing the safety spillway, the water under Rožmberk spills into the landscape, because the Lužnice riverbed does not run through the valley, the governor reminded. Huge lagoons form in the meadows and fields, which slows down the direct flow of the river. “This is a specific situation and it’s not as if water flows through a pipe and arrives somewhere with great force and speed,” added Kuba.

In the south of Bohemia on Tuesday evening, the highest flood level was valid in thirteen places. In addition to Lužnice, Blanice, Malše, Stropnice and Nežárka also reached the highest flood level.