PM Orban: Ebbing is Rapid, Peak Flood Wave to Exit Hungary on Tuesday

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Cecília Muller, chief medical officer, told a press briefing about the progress of flood protection and the necessary follow-up work.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban gives update on the flood (Photo: MTI/Szilard Koszticsak)

"The operational group is still busy working today. The flood wave is expected to peak at Mohacs today and the excess waters will exit the country," said Viktor Orban at Tuesday's press briefing on the situation of the flood on the Danube in Hungary. Although weather forecasters expect some rain, it will have no impact on the flood wave, the Hungarian prime minister added.

After the peaking

The Danube peaked at Baja yesterday, at 925 centimeters at Pandur Island. Houses built in the floodplain are threatened by the water, the municipality is keeping owners informed,

Hungary's prime minister said, highlighting 

the ebbing is taking place rapidly, and once the Danube flood waves have receded the focus will be on public health tasks.

"This is why Cecilia Muller, chief medical officer, is here," Viktor Orban said.

Over the past day, a stretch of 510 km was protected. In the major cities along the Danube, the water level was steadily decreasing and the flood wave is no longer expected to breach the protection line, PM Orban said.

During this year's Danube flood, we built 40 km of temporary barriers and 4.5 km of mobile walls. Sandbags that were not used will be taken to municipal and state warehouses, and they will be stored there for the next flood, which hopefully won't come very soon. Sandbags that have been in contact with flood waters will be destroyed,

he explained.

Thousands were helping

He said that thousands of people, including volunteers, soldiers, police and professionals, were involved in the response. "A level exceeding third-degree alert had to be ordered for 40 kilometers. The water experts covered 5,500 kilometers on foot during the flood, roughly twice the distance of the border around Hungary. I covered 1,687 kilometers, but it was easier for me, as I was often driven, but it was still like traveling to Tallinn," he said. He noted that 

Before the flood, the Danube's water level in Budapest was at 205 centimeters, and rose to 806 centimeters. At Baja, the water rose from 173 to around 900 centimeters.

The government is expecting to receive proposals from water experts on planning next year's flood protection developments and investments. After that, the government will decide where to extend the permanent dam sections next year or replace the temporary barriers with permanent ones,

PM Orban said in response to questions. He confirmed that he will visit Mohacs today.

Autonomous flood protection capabilities

Regarding the EU flood recovery aid, the prime minister said that since receiving it is incidental, 

Hungary should rely on its own flood protection.

In this context, PM Orban stressed that it is worth preparing for the future without expecting external assistance.

Viktor Orban thanked the water authorities involved in the flood protection of the capital and confirmed that Budapest will receive the six billion forints allocated for the Chain Bridge and the tunnel. PM Orban also thanked the mayor of Budapest for his cooperation.

As for the development of dams along the Danube, PM Orban said that the government supports dams parallel to the Danube, but not dams built across the river. There are no cross dams on the Hungarian section of the Danube, which would hold up the incoming flood wave increasing the volume of water several times of the normal.

In response to a question, the prime minister also said that there is little good news, as there was a huge flood that caused serious damage and deaths in other countries. "Compared to that, we brought down the flood in Hungary without loss of life, we protected everything we could, everything worked well, everything worked out with Budapest's mayor," he said.

Viktor Orban stressed that the government must inform the people. "That's also our task, and that's fine," he said explaining the reason for the government providing flood-related information on social media. 

Public health challenges

There are a number of public health challenges to be faced, for which they have already prepared before the flood has receded, Cecilia Muller, chief medical officer, told the press briefing,.

"These include the protection of wells, the emptying of septic tanks and reservoirs in order to prevent the water from carrying contamination into the Danube," she said.

Places where this threat still exists should be in focus, she said, adding that
 

protection and damage repair on the road sections between settlement is carried out by the public road authority and by the municipality within the settlement. She stressed that all professional assistance is being provided: a comprehensive information leaflet has been sent out and a 24-hour call center has been set up for further assistance.

It is not necessary and possible to disinfect everywhere and everything, as environmental regulations must also be taken into account, Cecilia Muller said. If road sections have been contaminated with sewage, they must be washed with a disinfectant in addition to high-pressure cleaning.

Along the Danube, there are 31 water bases, which are sampled daily by the authorities and tested in laboratories,

 the chief medical officer said, noting that 

In the area of Domos, Pilismarot and Pilisdobogoko, authorities detected contamination in the drinking water. Therefore it is recommended to drink it only after boiling, and children are provided with bottled drinking water. 

When drinking water sources are tested, the water is considered safe for consumption again after at least two negative tests, the chief medical officer said. 

In the area of Dunabogdany and  Visegrad, algae were detected in the drinking water base, which may indicate possible contamination, and drinking water there was declared unfit for consumption as a precautionary measure until it is disinfected.

Unlike in neighboring countries, there is no need in Hungary for vaccination against Hepatitis A, or jaundice, Cecilia Muller stressed.

Garbage removal

Regarding the illegally deposited garbage found on Csepel Island during the flood, government spokeswoman Eszter Vitalyos said that the removal of the garbage started on Monday. There was inland water at the affected site, and the fence there prevented the garbage from reaching the Danube. The lessee of the site is under criminal investigation, she said.

In response to a question, Istvan Lang, the head of the General Directorate of Water Management, said that the summer dam on Nagy-Pandur Island would not have been able to hold the water without being cut, which is why the local municipality decided to open the dam.