2020
Vas County flood
Short Description
Detailed Description
In June, a cold front reached the Rába catchment, leading to severe thunderstorms in the region. The intense rainfall mainly affected almost the entire Rába catchment and the middle and lower parts of Feistritz, where 100-120 mm of precipitation fell in a short time. The Lapincs catchment received 40-50 mm of rainfall, while the Gyöngyös, Répce, and Pinka catchment areas had significantly less rain, with an average of 20 mm. The rainfall activity stopped relatively quickly, with no further replenishment. As a result of the intense precipitation, rapid water accumulation occurred, leading to the formation of an intense flood wave in the Rába. The Rába peaked at 252 cm (209 m3/s) at Szentgotthárd. Due to the heavy rainfall, very intense, fast-rising, and quick-receding flood waves formed on the Raab and Feistritz branches, and because of the sharp peaks of the flash floods, a significant flattening was observed in the lower sections of the Rába.
In August, a wavering front system reached the county, with heavy showers and thunderstorms experienced in several places. In a short time, 30-60 mm of rain fell within 15 minutes in some areas. Intense, fast-moving flash floods formed on the Rába. After the flood wave, within two days, water levels receded, followed by the formation of another flood wave in the watercourses.
In October, a cold front approached the catchment areas from the southwest on the 3rd. Initially, smaller thunderstorms occurred, but from the evening, the storms developed into a thunderstorm chain, leading to intense precipitation (15-25 mm/15 minutes). The intensity decreased by late evening, followed by a short break in the precipitation. In the early hours of the morning, a new, but more moderate-intensity precipitation zone reached the area. The Rába, Pinka, Gyöngyös, and Répce catchments on the Hungarian border received 45-55 mm of precipitation on average, while in the line between Körmend and Sárvár, only 25 mm of rainfall was recorded. As a result of the precipitation, there was intense flooding on the smaller streams, such as the Pinka, Strém, Gyöngyös, and Répce.
Due to the extraordinary precipitation activity in Vas County, local water damage prevention measures had to be implemented on several small streams. A second-degree alert was issued on the Pinka. A third-degree alert was issued at the Arany stream and the Dozmati reservoir, but the Dozmati reservoir was not activated. The flood wave on the Arany stream passed without causing flooding. A third-degree alert was issued for the Gyöngyös stream and the Lukácsházi reservoir. The Lukácsházi reservoir was activated, and the entire reservoir space was utilized. A third-degree alert was also issued at the Répce and Góri reservoir, but the flood wave on the Répce passed without causing flooding. The flood wave on the Rába inundated the Csörnöc valley and the Molnaszecsőd-Döröske road. The flood wave on the Répce inundated the Bük-Acsád and Nagygeresd-Vasegerszeg roads.
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