By Kuba Stezycki and Kacper Pempel
STRONIE SLASKIE, Poland (Reuters) – As water receded in Stronie Slaskie, one of many areas worst-hit by large floods in south-west Poland, residents and volunteers started clearing up in hope their houses can be habitable earlier than the onset of winter.
Components of the mountain city of 5,000 folks have been swamped when a dam burst final weekend throughout Central Europe’s worst floods in additional than 20 years which have brought about billions of {dollars} of harm and killed not less than 24 folks.
Miroslaw Wegrzyn, 67, who has been operating the “Ice Cool” ice cream store for 30 years, mentioned the water got here above the highest of his door. When it receded, he discovered the constructing filled with mud amongst dislodged equipment and a whole bunch of ice sticks.
“A wave nearly three meters in entrance got here right here and when the dam broke, it swept the whole lot away,” he mentioned, including he was not insured and did know if he would rebuild the store.
The floods swept away houses and vehicles, leaving streets lined with mud, rubble and particles.
“Now we have to rebuild. Slowly rebuild and look ahead to the climate to be good and for winter to come back as late as doable”, mentioned Grzegorz Ukrainski, 42, a businessman from a metropolis to the northeast, Opole, who volunteered to assist clear up in Stronie Slaskie.
