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The July 1997 flood was one of the largest natural disasters in the most recent history of Poland. The flooding occurred on the Upper and Middle Odra and the Upper Vistula. In the Odra basin, all the so far reported water levels and flows were exceeded. We estimate the flow on the Odra to be much greater than that of 1903. The scale of flooding in the Vistula basin was comparable to the 1934 disaster.
The flood killed 55 people and inundated few tens of cities (including Wroc³aw, Opole and Racibórz) and few hundreds of villages. There were completely destroyed few hundreds of houses, bridges, road stretches, water pipes and wells, power and heating infrastructure, sewers and sewage treatment plants.
The infrastructure operated by the hydrological and meteorological service of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management (Polish name: Instytut Meteorologii i Gospodarki Wodnej - IMGW) was also seriously damaged. There were completely destroyed several tens of water gauges and limnigraphs. Many posts were silted up and put out of operation and some premises of IMGW Kraków and Wroc³aw Branches were inundated.
Given the current condition of the flood control and prevention system and developments in river valleys, the catastrophic consequences of the flood could not possibly be avoided. Damage repairs had to start and more effective flood control and prevention system needed to be developed. The World Bank offered its assistance and sent a Mission to Poland in September 1997. By November 1997, the Mission prepared principal assumptions behind the US $200 million loan Project to finance these operations. The Emergency Flood Recovery Project so collect "SMOK" was developed, including three components:
- Component A - Repair of Municipal and Rural Infrastructure;
- Component B - Flood Management and Hazard Reduction;
- Component C - Project Administration and Assistance (establishment of the Project Coordination Unit).
Four subcomponents of Component B were identified, i.e.
- B1 - Basin Flood Management Planning,
- B2 - Hydrological and meteorological monitoring, forecasting and protection system and warning,
- B3 - Flood Protection Infrastructure (financed by the European Investment Bank)
- B4 - Flood Risk Mitigation and Response.
Preparation of the B2 Subcomponent that is "Monitoring, Forecasting and Warning" involved experts of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management.
This Subcomponent is targeted at the establishment of a comprehensive system of countrywide coverage to streamline and facilitate monitoring, forecasting and warning of dangerous natural phenomena and collect and disseminate information upon the current and forecast atmosphere and hydrosphere condition.
This publication presents principal tasks of, and implementation assumptions behind the SMOK Monitoring, Forecasting and Warning System. The system will enable the hydrological and meteorological service to better protect the citizens and national economy. The Project covers all elements of the service operations, starting from measurements and observations through the system of telecommunications, data processing, forecasting and warning down to the user information system.
Implementation of the Project will give the hydrological and meteorological service the opportunity of catch-up with the most advanced services of that type in Europe and world-wide. The exercise also poses a challenge for scientific and technical staff of the Institute and cooperating institutions.
I am fully convinced that the State Budget expenditure towards the Project implementation will promptly translate into effective and credible operations of the system.
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Basic organizational units of the Meteorological and Hydrological Service of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management |
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Warsaw Port water gauge, 665 cm level |
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in July 1997 |
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