Parts of Central Europe--Czech Republic, Poland, Austria and Romania are experience terrible flooding and power outages from it.
Southwest Poland and the area around Vienna have been seriously affected
If you are traveling to any of these areas in the next few days, you might want to check to see if it is safe.
Catastrophic flooding and rain in southern Poland now and in the coming days. I've some friends in the area and they say people are basically stranded in their homes, they describe "waves of water" smashing though many of the historic towns, especially in the Silesia region bordering Germany and Czechia, many towns simply "cut off" due to the water. The city of Karniow, which is located near the Polish-Czech border, is 80 percent underwater. Mass evacuations underway... very bad situation.
Here's more info from Polish news sources I sometimes follow:
https://notesfrompoland.com/2024/09/15/floods-claim-first-life-in-poland-as-pm-warns-residents-to-obey-evacuation-orders/
https://wiadomosci.gazeta.pl/wiadomosci/7,114883,31305595,ulewy-nie-odpuszczaja-imgw-ostrzega-przed.html
Just a few hours outside of Vienna we have been blessed to have avoided it. But i get the reports here, and it isnt pretty.
But maybe i go down to the river tonight and see how high it is. Bad weather upstream can do so pretty horrible things here too.
EDIT: yup, they are bracing for it: https://www.budapesttimes.hu/hungary/third-degree-flood-alert-issued-for-budapest/ If you are here, it wont impact your stay very much. This happens a few times a year and its sort of interesting to see the river boats floating at the level of the streets. Worst case they put up steel flood bariers along the river and try and keep the water out of the metro system. The rain is still only light to moderatly heavy drizzle. No real rainstorm ........... yet.
It is affecting us here in Vienna. Our train to Germany was cancelled for today and we were told the only was out is flying. We have made train reservations for Wednesday and they may be cancelled also which will cost us over $1100 for not making it to Freiburg to use the apartment we have reserved. We would have had to cancel by two days ago. We went to the OBB office and found a 200 person line to get a number to be in another line for questions. Life is certainly interesting here. But at least we have a hotel room here and not sleeping at the train station. Its much harder on the people who live in the flooded areas and have no where to sleep.
The Austria forum has a thread on this:
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/austria/weather-warnings-in-austria
DW offers a ticker:
https://www.dw.com/en/europe-floods-more-rain-forecast-as-thousands-evacuated/live-70224153
Stuff happens. If you can find a way to go with the flow and call it an adventure that might help
Our train to Germany was cancelled for today and we were told the only was out is flying. We have made train reservations for Wednesday and they may be cancelled also which will cost us over $1100 for not making it to Freiburg to use the apartment we have reserved.
The latest message from ÖBB says:
Update 10 (16.09.2024 19:31) Weather-related travel warning
Due to the current weather conditions in Austria, deviations and delays in train services are to be expected from 13.09.2024. up to and including 19.09.2024.
[...]
No train services between Vienna main station and St Valentin [i.e. between Vienna and Salzburg or Passau] until 17.09.2024, 23:59
[...]
That means they are planning to resume train traffic towards Germany from Wednesday; but of course that also depends on how much rain falls tonight and tomorrow and what effects that has.
So, personally, I actually would see if I couldn't fly to Zurich or Basel and go from there by train to Freiburg or rent a car to Salzburg and transfer to the train there (the Flixbuses from Vienna to Salzburg are unfortunately already fully booked).
