Klaipėda District Mayor Bronius Markauskas announced on his Facebook account on Saturday evening that, taking into account the recommendation of the Emergency Situations Operations Center (ESOC), he is declaring an emergency situation in the Priekulė ward.
“The crowd is not abating, the water level at the Lankupiai sluice has already reached its natural level, the water is rushing over the embankment in the town of Priekulė, and the road to Šilutė is impassable.
It was decided not to open the sluice, because in this case the dikes below could be breached, and it could also harm the Klaipėda water body, from which drinking water is supplied. Only the gallery on the side of the sluice is useful to reduce the water pressure at least a little,” the mayor wrote.
According to him, all services are working. The situation is being closely monitored.
The situation in Lankupi is difficult
The Lithuanian hydrometeorological service informed the municipality of Klaipėda district on Saturday morning that a dangerous water level of 822 cm (natural – 825 cm, catastrophic – 830 cm) is observed in Minija near Lankupiai.
If the catastrophic level were to be reached, the water would rush through the embankment, and the village of Lankupiai would be swept away.
The opening of the lock from Minija in the Klaipėda canal is said to be necessary.
“The flood would appear elsewhere”
“Since it is approaching a catastrophic level, it was decided to open the Lankupiai sluice so that the water can drain away. Otherwise, the village in Lankupiai could be flooded. That’s what we do.
At the moment, a person is going to come and open it, because there is basically a manual opening of the sluice,” – 15min said Jevgenijus Bardauskas, adviser to the Klaipėda district mayor.
However, around 1 p.m. it was reported that the Lankupiai lock has not yet been opened. “Klaipėdos vanduo” asked not to do this, arguing that the water could flood the cleaners.
Klaipėda district mayor B. Markauskas said that he will have to monitor the situation and make a decision that “will be less painful”. If it were decided to raise the lock, it would be the first time in history.
At that time, the head of the Klaipėdos vanduo company, Benitas Jonikas, emphasized that the rules provide for an order – not to raise the Lankupii sluice during floods. It is said that the flood would then arise in another place. The water level of the King Wilhelm canal and the adjacent 3rd Klaipėda reservoir would rise.
According to B. Jonik, the meteorological conditions are quite favorable – the water should reach the lagoon, where the water level has not risen. The wind direction is also favorable.
Mayor: the most difficult situation in Priekule
According to the mayor, due to the flood, the situation in Priekulė is the most difficult in Western Lithuania.
Here, overnight, the water rose another 20 centimeters and now stands at 597 centimeters.
Next to Žalgiris Street, near the bridge, water is already flowing over the embankment at its lowest point. Minijos Street is also under construction.
Lukas Balandios/15min photo/Bronius Markauskas
“I just checked this place out myself. Water is collecting in a nearby dry pond, the nearest house is about 100 meters away, but it is located a little higher, so it is not a threat for now. Firefighters and Klaipėda district energy representatives are on duty, sandbags are planned to be placed, which would allow the embankment to be raised a little.
Therefore, the situation is under control and supervision, there is nothing to worry about, all services are in their place and doing their best so that the natural element causes as little damage as possible”, said B. Markauskas.
According to him, the situation in Vēžaičiai has improved.
As the water level in Minija falls, the section of the Žvelsėnai-Pikteikiai road that was impassable yesterday can now be moved.
The situation is also improving on Pylos street, the water is also falling, although it is still recommended to take the detour.
The water has risen 5-10 cm
On Saturday morning, Daiva Bliūdžiuvienė, the elder of Priekulė, also went to the Žalgiris street of the town, where the flooding water is causing the most anxiety.
Consideration is being given to placing sandbags to stop the flow of water.
Photo by Broniaus Markauskas/Flood in Priekulė
“We will try to make a decision on the spot whether those bags will help. It’s just that we’re still in action discussion because there’s about a 5-wide band running across the top of the embankment. There, after rising 5-10 cm from the embankment, there is a strip about 10 meters wide.
And it runs towards the city of Priekulė, Žalgiris street, where water accumulates along the railway tracks. It was like a pond there. It dried up in the summer. Now water is accumulating in its area,” she said.
Fear of breaching the embankment
According to D. Bliūdziuvienė, it would be very dangerous if the Minija water rose again. It is feared that the water will not breach the embankment.
“Now he’s running over the top, just the embankment is holding up.” But so that the water does not break through, does not penetrate to the ground – this is the biggest fear”, said the elder of Priekulė.
She said that Klaipėda district mayor Bronius Markauskas, the head of the Klaipėda district energy company, had come to the place.
Photo by Broniaus Markauskas/Flood in Priekulė
“We discussed here and will continue to take action”, explained D. Bliūdziuvienė.
According to her, Minija’s level rose overnight.
There are about 10 homesteads in the villages of Šilininkų and Liaunai of the Priekule ward, which are difficult to reach because the water has covered the road.
“There are three homesteads in the village of Liaunai, where there is no exit at all, only with a tractor. And in the village of Šilininkai, they used to go both ways. It is on another road, along Veivirža, where the road stretches, it still passes there,” said the elder of Priekulė.
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2024-08-25 07:38:05
