Vízügyi Közlemények, Az 1998. évi árvíz, 2003 (különszám)

I. kötet: Az 1998. évi árvíz - Váradi József: Bevezető

18 Introduction Virtually all earlier figures on water-related emergency control measures in the Tisza Valley were exceeded during the approximately twenty months elapsed between November, 1998 and May, 2000. Three flood waves have caused record stages on the Tisza section down to Mindszent, on the River Bodrog, on the downstream reach of the River Hármas Körös and on the Lónyai Principal. Nevertheless, the gravest of the recurring abnormal situations was encountered in the year 2000. Soils saturated by abundant rains in the previous year have resulted in extensive inundations by undrained runoff in spring already. Simultaneous river floods coupled (on the first occasion since 10 years) with the urgent demolition of ice jams have presented a serious challenge to the emergency task force of the water agency. The situation was aggravated further by the highly concentrated plume of cyanide pollution, which has reached the River Tisza between the 30

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h of January and the 10th of February over the tributary Szamos. The lethal impact thereof on the aquatic ecosystem was alleviated by making optimal use of the water routing opportunities offered by the water management facilities. Notwithstanding these, the flood wave, which started rising on the 3

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d of April has caused the greatest concern in the year 2000. By the 8

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h of April the flood situation became grave enough to prompt the government to announce danger situation and the stage of abnormal alert over defence sections of 1.342 km total length. This was extended on the 18

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h of April to Tisza section downstream of Csongrád to the southern national border, further to the backwater reach on the River Hármas Körös, increasing thus the total length to 1.612 km. The state of abnormal flood alert was maintained for 32 days. Signs of impending levee failure triggered emergency measures along the National Road No.4 in the residential area of Szolnok town, at the Tiszasas bend, at the Mindszent pumping station and in the area of the village Tiszasüly. Temporary defences (crest dykes) of 310 km total length had to be raised using 10.5 million sand bags. During the days of gravest emergency (April 18 to 21) the workforce deployed on emergency operations was over 20.000, including 8.000 on the payroll of the water agency. The equipment fleet used simultaneously consisted of 433 construction machines and 1.595 road vehicles. The event, which to prevent and avert is the basic task of flood fighting has occurred eventually on the 8

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h of March, 2001: the workforce failed to keep pace with the rising rate and height of the flood wave, it was impossible to build the crest dykes to match the flood wave. As a consequence thereof the defences along the River Tisza yielded at two points and the Bereg flood plain section was flooded — more than 50 years after the levee failure on the Upstream Tisza on New Year's eve 1947/48. The abnormal March flood in 2001 was a frightening ordeal to the people living in the area, particularly to the population of Bereg County. Regardless of the heavy losses they suffered in their personal belongings, property and livestock, most of them cooperated willingly with the forces performing the tasks of evacuation and rescue. These operations proceeded in a disciplined, organised manner with the highest attainable effectiveness. The efforts of all involved are appreciated. From an overview of the flood events of March, 2001 it seems safe to conclude that thanks to the co-ordinated efforts of the various emergency organisations, further to controlled water routing and confinement measures, the losses were reduced to the inevitable level, no life was lost and nine of the 17 communities in the Bereg region were saved from inundation.