Yesterday, opposition MPs from the Law and Justice (PiS), Kacper Płażyński and Jan Mosiński, gave a press conference about the results of the inspection by Poland’s Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (IMGW). According to their report, warnings about possible flooding had been coming for several days, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk had access to them.
“After an inspection at IMGW, we know that warnings about very dangerous weather phenomena that were brewing in Poland were sent directly to Donald Tusk already before 3 p.m. on Sept. 10 this year,” said Płażyński.
The Law and Justice MP added that starting from Sept. 10 and for the following days, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, the Government Security Center and the ministries received level 3 meteorological and hydrological warnings.
MP Mosiński also revealed that on Sept. 10 at 12:00 p.m., Poland also received alerts from the European Flood and Hazard Warning System concerning five rivers in Poland, along with forecasts of heavy rainfall in the southern areas of the country, reports Do Rzeczy.
“Donald Tusk had all the documents, he had all the knowledge, he knew how serious the situation was,” Płażyński added.
There is also great uncertainty surrounding the number of fatalities caused by the flood, but due to the lack of time people had to prepare, some say it will be higher than expected.
“TVN and TVP Info won’t tell you about this tragic consequence of the government’s negligence!” wrote PiS spokesman Rafał Bochenek on platform X. Bochenek slammed the government for the lack of evacuation warnings in the wake of an interview of blogger Radek Pogoda by Krzysztof Ziemiec on the Otwarta Konserwa channel.
Pogoda, a resident of Wrocław, has recently focused on analyzing the causes of the flood but has also shed light on what he believes will ultimately be a far higher death toll.
“So you are suggesting that the number of victims could be as high as about a hundred?” asked Krzysztof Ziemiec.
“Much higher. Information from (legal adviser) Katarzyna Tarnawa-Gwóżdź by way of my viewers indicates that these victims could be even over 400,” the blogger answered. (Katarzyna Tarnawa-Gwóżdź represented servicemen who did not want to take the COVID-19 vaccine; her home was raided by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) earlier this year, reports wPolityce.)
There is no way that a final death count could be made as of yet, Pogoda added. However, with no warning, and people out on the street when the flood wave came, lives had to have been lost, he suggested, pointing out that in Nysa, people had 10 minutes to get out of their homes before the city was flooded.
“Cars were carried away like a feather,” he said.
Meanwhile, last week, Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during a crisis team meeting that “one of the consequences of the flood must be a very precise map of omissions, neglect and bungling.”
“So please don’t be embarrassed. It’s good that the term ‘whistleblower’ was invented and we no longer say that someone snitches or informs, because as a state we have to have objective, reliable reports about what went wrong. Otherwise, nothing will be fixed,” he said.
