Improvement in weather promises Krakow relief from rising flood waters

One bridge was closed in Krakow yesterday, and several streets were flooded after heavy rains continued to pound the historic southern city. Although the city center remained relatively free from danger, the suburbs faced a considerable threat from rising flood waters, which reached 838 centimeters, the highest level since 1997. The emergency services spent most of the afternoon pumping water from cellars in the city suburbs, while sewers flooded. Some of the books stored in the vaults of the Jagiellonian Library were moved to safety. Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek has promised that in the event of damage to the city's dikes, the government will provide money for their repair. The Prime Minister also assured the flood victims that zl.200 million had been set aside in the budget to help them. The city authorities in Krakow are expecting a respite today, with forecasts predicting that the weather will turn for the better. "We are expecting the current water level to stabilize during the next 24 hours," said Waclaw Wojciechowski, head of Krakow's anti-flood operations. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A4; Gazeta Wyborcza, p. 3) P.W.