2013
Danube flood
Short Description
Detailed Description
From May 30 to June 3, 2013, a large amount of precipitation fell in the catchment areas of the Danube in Bavaria and Austria, causing a flood along the upper section of the river that had not been seen for a long time (Figure 1). The receding flood wave resulted in record water levels over most of Hungary’s section, with new “highest water” (LNV) values being established. In Budapest, the Danube peaked at 891 cm from 8:00 PM on June 9 to 3:00 AM on June 10 (Figure 2). This water level was 31 cm higher than the previous record high, measured during the spring flood of 2006 (April 4, 2006). Water levels exceeding LNV values were recorded all the way to Baja, though the current water level in Mohács only approached the 1965 value. The flood wave’s peak left Hungary on the night of June 14.
On June 4, a state of emergency was declared in Hungary from noon.
In Budapest, due to the high water levels, the BKK ferry services did not stop at all their stops as early as June 3, Monday. The underground garage under construction at Kossuth Lajos Square was flooded for safety reasons. On June 4, starting at 9 AM, King’s Road in Óbuda was closed, and from 6 PM, Margaret Island was closed. By 8 PM, the Buda side of the river and at 10 PM, the Pest riverside was closed. Ferry services were also suspended. The H5 suburban train, several tram and bus lines were restricted, and on June 8, the Batthyány Square metro station was closed on the 2-line metro, with civil defense gates also being shut. Trains passed through the station, and no speed restrictions were necessary.
In Szentendre, a mobile flood barrier made of flexible metal was constructed at the Danube promenade, as the old dike had been dismantled in 2012. This was the first time a mobile barrier was used in Hungary.
On the morning of June 6, Kisoroszi became cut off by water, and the town was inaccessible by road. The section of road between Esztergom and Dömös on Route 11 was closed, making Pilismarót and Dömös only accessible by forest roads.
On June 7, the Danube reached a level of 646 cm at Rajka, which was 3 cm above the previous record. In Nagybajcs, the river peaked at 907 cm on the evening of June 7 and the early morning of June 8, surpassing the previous 2002 record by 32 cm. At 7:00 PM, an evacuation order was given for Győrújfalu, which was a precautionary measure.
In Esztergom, the Szent Erzsébet Bridge was closed on June 4, the Mária Valéria Bridge and Bottyán Bridge were closed on June 8, the Petőfi Bridge in Győr on June 6, and the Kossuth Bridge on June 7.
On June 8, an emergency dike broke at Tahitótfalu, but a second defense barrier was built to protect the town. However, it became inaccessible due to Route 11 being submerged. In the afternoon, heavy rainfall in Budapest caused the water from the Buda hills to flood streets, as the closed drainage system due to the flood was unable to drain it. As a result, several streets in District II were flooded to nearly half a meter for a short time. On the Bem embankment, the section between Batthyány Square and Margaret Bridge was closed to heavy machinery to prevent the H5 suburban train tunnel from rising. In the evening, the Danube peaked at 845 cm at Komárom. In Báta, Tolna County, a flood barrier was built using 46,000 sandbags over a 2,500-meter stretch. Firefighters from several counties and hundreds of volunteers participated in the work.
On June 9 at 8:00 AM, the Flood Protection Radio began operating. In the morning, the Danube peaked at 813 cm in Esztergom, 42 cm higher than the 2002 record. Several trucks were parked as ballast on the Szent Erzsébet Bridge for several days. Almost the entire Prímás Island was submerged, including the sports hall, the Zsolt Nándor School of Music and Arts, and the Aquasziget. Forty-four people had to be evacuated from the area. In Szigetmonostor, residents had to be evacuated from one hundred properties as water entered part of the village. At the Xantus János Zoo in Győr, some animals were moved because their enclosures were flooded. In Nagymaros, the parallel Váci Road was flooded, and the town was protected by a mobile dike. The Danube peaked at 751 cm in Nagymaros. In Budapest, water flooded the Bem embankment. In the evening, Árpád Fejedelem Road was closed between Margaret Bridge and Zsigmond Square, as was the Buda ramp of Margaret Bridge and Fő Street in District II, resulting in further restrictions on public transportation. Between Baja and Pörböly, Route 55 and the Türr István Bridge in Baja were closed. The red sludge reservoir near Almásfüzitő was not at risk, as the dam’s top was 1.5 meters higher than the highest water level.
In Budapest, from the evening of June 9 to the early morning of June 10, the water level peaked at 891 cm for eight hours, which was 31 cm higher than the 2006 record. By the morning of June 10, the water level in Rajka was already 4.5 meters lower than its peak. In Győr, the two closed bridges were reopened. In Budapest, the damage was estimated at 3.25 billion HUF, of which 1.73 billion was for flood protection and 1.52 billion for restoration.
On June 11, at 2:00 PM, the residents of Győrújfalu who had been evacuated were allowed to return, and the Mária Valéria Bridge in Esztergom was reopened. The highest water levels of the Danube were recorded as 755 cm in Dunaújváros, 721 cm in Dunaföldvár, and 891 cm in Paks, all record values.
On June 12, in the early morning, the highest water levels were recorded at Dombori (916 cm) and Baja (989 cm), both record highs. In the capital, the water level fell below 8 meters. On the Buda side, Batthyány Square was reopened, and public transport resumed. On June 13, the Danube peaked at 964 cm in Mohács, 20 cm below the 1965 record. On June 13 and 14, the transportation system in Buda was restored.
There were no fatalities due to the flooding in the country. Based on the experiences of the Austrian and Szentendre mobile barriers, a decision was made to build a mobile barrier on the Római-part in Budapest.
During the flood defense efforts in Hungary, 10,179,046 sandbags were used, containing more than 242,500 cubic meters of sand. A total of 36,780 registered civil volunteers worked on the dikes, but the actual number of volunteers was much higher. The number of people directly threatened by the flood was 206,000, and 1,570 people were evacuated.
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