With water levels already dropping significantly in Budapest, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said that the country’s flood defense effort has been successful, but challenges still remain.
“We are already halfway to the end,” said Viktor Orbán during the flood information on Monday morning. The prime minister said that the flood wave peaks at midday in the Hungarian city of Baja, and that water levels are dropping faster than expected in many areas.
“In Budapest, we are already at a 74-centimeter drop,” he added. The prime minister indicated that the section of the third level of preparedness was reduced to 223 kilometers. According to him, there is every reason to be most optimistic about the coming days.
“There are things that are good when they come to an end, and this flood is one of them,” said Orbán.
The head of government also said that on Saturday, 755 kilometers of Hungary’s river system had to be defended, while yesterday it was only 706 kilometers long. The third-level readiness stage had also decreased.
“Everything shows that we are coming out of trouble,” he said.
As pressure decreases, there are now 560 fewer people working on flood defense, and the number of volunteers has also decreased, he added.
So far, most Hungarian settlements and cities are doing well, with Orbán noting that the 600-meter-long protection wall in Kismaros held up and Budapest and Margaret Island are fine. Waters around Kisapostag are also receding, and Madocsa and Paks are also in good shape. Flood waters broke through an access road at Báta, but he said Hungarian services are protecting properties there.
The 2,700-meter defense line in Baja also held perfectly thanks to the volunteers.
He also noted that there are problems near an illegal waste dump in Csepel, but the sandbag walls are holding there. Orbán said the owner is currently in prison and he will be prosecuted.
In response to a journalist’s question regarding flood protection, the head of government said the flood was a test and the government managed to keep the Danube River in check. He indicated that by opening the temporary water reservoir in Lajta, they were able to avoid difficulties.
“If there is trouble, the Hungarians can protect their settlements,” he said.
Regarding the flood costs, the prime minister said that in 2013 defense costs were HUF 19.6 billion, and the water sector received HUF 18 billion, while this year the costs should be reduced to HUF 5 billion forints.
So far, Hungary has avoided any major incident involving flooding damage, unlike Czechia and Poland, which were hit far harder.
