From: http://www.praguepost.com/P03/2006/Art/0406/news1.php Flood weary Capital city's flood plan put into action; other regions hit hardest since 2002 By Kristina Alda and Iva Skochová Staff Writers, The Prague Post April 05, 2006 Eva Quietonová sits along a flood barrier opposite her neighbors' flooded house in Melník, 30 kilometers north of Prague, March 31. The country continues to be on flood alert after rivers, swollen from rain and melting snow, washed into towns and villages nationwide, forcing thousands of people out of their homes. At least eight people have died so far in connection with the floods, which for many brought back bad memories of the disastrous flooding that hit in 2002. Prague was largely spared this time, while other communities — from Znojmo, in south Moravia, where 10,000 were evacuated, to Melník and Ústí nad Labem, north Bohemia — suffered extensive damage. In some parts of the country, whole villages have been underwater. At press time, waters were receding in the eastern part of the country, but still rising in the north. The government had announced a state of emergency to last until April 10 in seven regions: South Bohemia, Central Bohemia, Ústí, Pardubice, South Moravia, Olomouc and Zlín. "It's getting pretty depressing," said Bohumil Kaplan, 60, a lifelong resident of Ústí, standing in his backyard as his basement flooded. "We're all exhausted." Officials estimate that damage could be in the billions of crowns. The government is promising 380 million Kc ($16 million) in aid to help hard-hit regions rebuild. The U.S. Embassy in Prague is promising additional aid; U.S. Ambassador William Cabaniss expected to meet with Prime Minister Jirí Paroubek in the next few weeks to set an amount. But despite the promises, the government is facing criticism from residents in flooded areas who say it has not done enough to protect vulnerable areas. Political finger-pointing has ensued, with national and regional leaders each saying the other has botched the response. Prague prepared Damage in Prague was a far cry from 2002, when the Vltava River flooded, causing 25 billion Kc worth of damage in Karlín and much of Malá Strana. Emergency authorities put up anti-flood barriers, prepared after the 2002 floods, along the banks of the Vltava and pumped water from the Certovka stream that runs along Kampa Island. Some playgrounds and riverside cafes were underwater. "It definitely brought back memories of 2002," said Oldrich Klegr, a shift commander at Prague's Central Fire Station. "But we are much better prepared this time — at least when it comes to Prague. I can't say the same for the rest of the country." About 90 people in the capital, mostly in the Zbraslav area of Prague 5, had to evacuate. Kampa residents and business owners, still haunted by memories of 2002, when most of the island was underwater, didn't have to leave this time. But if Prague was better prepared, it seems the rest of the country was not, with low-lying areas in south Bohemia and Moravia suffering the most. Some towns had not invested in anti-flood measures at all, saying they lacked the money to do so. Residents in these regions are complaining bitterly, saying that in the past four years the government was only willing to invest money into protecting Prague. Promises broken In Ústí, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Prague, Jirí Bružek, 72, stood in the backyard of his house on Strekovské nábreží and watched water from the swollen Labe River pour into his neighbors' first-floor apartments. In 2002, Bružek's gray stucco house suffered extensive damage. This time it looked like it would escape the worst of the flooding. But he was still angry. The government, he said, "promised us so much. But it's always about the money, isn't it? They're always more willing to spend money on Prague. It always has to be about Prague." Ústí was one of the hardest-hit cities in the country. Some 424 people were forced to evacuate, and officials set up an emergency shelter on the city's outskirts where 45 people took refuge. Newly restored homes In Melník, where the Vltava River joins the Labe 30 kilometers north of Prague, Eva Quietonová, resigned and exhausted, sat on a levee of sandbags, watching the river spill over its banks uncomfortably close to her house. Quietonová and other residents of Prístavní street saw their homes damaged in the 2002 floods and had just finished renovating them, painting many of them in bright pastels. Life, it seemed, was just getting back to normal. "They say that we won't have to evacuate this time," she said. "But I don't trust them. We are packed." The Labe is expected to continue to rise in Melník — waters had reached 1.4 meters (4.6 feet) above the emergency flood level March 31. Two homes have so far been evacuated. Jarmila Kelnerová, another Melník resident, had tears in her eyes just at the thought of moving. "I am 74 years old. I can't imagine living anyplace else," she said. Fortunately, her house is four blocks from the water and is likely to be spared.