Storm Boris wreaks havoc across eastern and central Europe

Central and Eastern Europe hit by severe storms, floods, and landslides, causing widespread damage and fatalities.

Four people have died in Romania in floods triggered by Storm Boris, which has brought torrential rains and widespread disruption to central and eastern Europe, rescue services said on Saturday (September 14, 2024).

Since Thursday, swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania and Slovakia have been hit by high winds and unusually fierce rains.

"We are again facing the effects of climate change, which are increasingly present on the European continent, with dramatic consequences," Romania's President Klaus Iohannis said.

"We must continue to strengthen our capacity to anticipate extreme weather events."

In Romania, four bodies were discovered in the worst affected region, Galati in the southeast, where 5,000 homes were damaged.

Hundreds of people have been rescued across 19 parts of the country, rescue services said, releasing a video of flooded homes in a village by the Danube river.

"This is a catastrophe of epic proportions," said Emil Dragomir, mayor of Slobozia Conachi, a village in Galati, where he said 700 homes had been flooded.