Poland's recovery from Storm Boris: Is the EU prepared for more and more floods?

In the past 30 years, floods have affected 5.5 million people in the European Union, causing 3,000 deaths and more than €170 billion in economic damage.

Storm Boris left a trail of destruction in September across central Europe. Around 30 people lost their lives. Nine people died in Poland, and over 6,500 people were evacuated. More than  11,500 homes were damaged.  

On September 15th 2024, the dam close to the southwestern towns of Stronie and Lądek-Zdrój burst after days of heavy rain. Local resident Zbigniew Rakoczky has been checking what could be saved from his parents’ in-law’s house. They had lived there for over 30 years, just metres away from the river.  

“We could go back only two days after the flood. What we found was similar to the pictures from the war in Ukraine, but without shooting,” he said.   

The disaster reminded Zbigniew of the 'Millennium floods' that struck the region in 1997, killing over 50 people. It was the turning point in crisis management and civil protection in Poland.   

Today reports say flood risk reduction still requires more effort. The existing priorities typically focus on large infrastructure, while local small-scale solutions are still lagging.  

The EU has different mechanisms to help its member States. When an emergency hits, the EU first disaster response is its Civil Protection Mechanism. It organises and coordinates an emergency response between all EU countries and 10 other participating states. It has responded over 700 times since 2001.  

The Solidarity and Emergency Aid Reserve provides a rapid financial response to all kinds of emergencies in the EU and participating countries. The EU Solidarity Fund offers more long-term financial support. It has paid more than €8.2 billion