Worst central European floods in decades
May 24, 2010; 4:00 AM ET
A couple sit on sandbags placed on a river bank across Warsaw's Old Town, Poland, Thursday, May 20, 2010. (AP Photo/Czarek Sokolowski)
The heavy rainfall responsible for death and destruction in central Europe will continue this week.
According to AccuWeather.com meteorologists, flooding is expected to worsen across Poland as rain remains in the forecast through Tuesday.
After a short break around midweek, another system could bring more rain to central Europe late Wednesday night into Friday.
The Vistula River overran its banks on Monday, causing flash flooding through 18 Polish communities near the capital of Warsaw. Flooding could worsen in the area through the end of the week.
The Oder River in Brandenburg, Germany, is approaching critical flooding levels as of Tuesday. The river could crest by late week.
Severe weather in Grossenhain, Germany killed a six-year-old girl on Monday when a tornado and a hail storm ripped through the town.
Flooding in Europe has forced the evacuations of thousands as well as claimed the lives of at least 14 people.
The heavy rainfall has inundated much of central Europe, including parts of Poland, Serbia, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, since last week.
Lodz, Poland, has had only one day without measurable rainfall in May. Their 6.6 inches of rain is more than five times their normal rainfall so far this month.
Krakow, the second largest city in Poland, recorded 6 inches of rain in a four-day period.
The rainfall has caused many rivers and streams to spill over their banks, including the River Sola, which is in proximity to the Auschwitz-Birkenau memorial.
Officials closed the camp in order to prevent any damage to the site and have moved artifacts to higher ground.
(content contributed by AccuWeather.com Staff Writer Carly Porter and Meteorologists Eric Wanenchak and Jason Nicholls)
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