Improvement of Flood Protection in Czech Republic

In 1997 the eastern parts of the Czech Republic were hit by floods, which were the greatest in this century. The high water levels caused extensive destruction in many places throughout the basins of the Morava, the Odra and the upper Labe (Elbe) rivers. In total, 538 cities and villages in 34 districts were afflicted and there were 50 casualties. The overall damage amounted to 63 billion Czech crowns. The evaluation of flood data showed [1,2] that the peak flows exceeded 100-year floods for which most of the existing flood control measures and structures were designed. In addition, the duration of the floods due to the exceptional duration of the rainfall contributed to increased damages.