Map showing affected countries

The 2005 European floods hit mainly Romania, Switzerland, Austria and Germany, as well as several other countries in Central Europe during August 2005. The disaster came at a time when Portugal was suffering from intense forest fires which left 15 dead and days before the powerful Hurricane Katrina hit the United States. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1245x1245, 47 KB) Map showing countries affected by August 2005 flooding. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1245x1245, 47 KB) Map showing countries affected by August 2005 flooding. ... Historical lands and provinces in Central Europe Central Europe is the region lying between the variously and vaguely defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe. ... The Old Fire burning in the San Bernardino Mountains (image taken from the International Space Station) A wildfire, also known as a forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, brush fire, or bushfire (in Australasia), is an uncontrolled fire often occurring in wildland areas, but which can also consume houses or... Hurricane Katrina was the eleventh-named tropical storm, fourth hurricane, third major hurricane, and first Category 5 hurricane of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season. ...

Death toll

The death toll was 42, with 31 dead in Romania, six in Switzerland, and five in Austria and Germany. Thousands were evacuated from their homes; the rains were the worst flooding to hit Europe since the 2002 floods. Europe is conventionally considered one of the seven continents which, in this case, is more a cultural and political distinction than a physiogeographic one. ... In August of 2002 a 100-year flood caused by over a week of continuous heavy rains ravaged Europe, killing dozens, dispossessing thousands, and causing damages of billions of dollars in the Czech Republic, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary, Romania and Croatia. ...

Affected regions

Rescue efforts with helicopters.

Road closures in the Alps.

The Paznaun Valley is cut off from the rest of Austria.

Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1487x1000, 941 KB) Source: Pflatsch Description: Alouette III des österreichischen Bundesheeres beim Anflug auf die Pontlatzkaserne in Landeck/Tirol - Österreich; Luftbrücke für das Paznaun aufgrund der Hochwasserkatastrophe; aufgenommen von Pflatsch, am 25. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1487x1000, 941 KB) Source: Pflatsch Description: Alouette III des österreichischen Bundesheeres beim Anflug auf die Pontlatzkaserne in Landeck/Tirol - Österreich; Luftbrücke für das Paznaun aufgrund der Hochwasserkatastrophe; aufgenommen von Pflatsch, am 25. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1586x1100, 1467 KB) See also … See also … Source: Pflatsch Description: Sperre der Straße ins Paznaun aufgrund der Hochwasserkatastrophe; Aufgenommen von Pflatsch am 25. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1586x1100, 1467 KB) See also … See also … Source: Pflatsch Description: Sperre der Straße ins Paznaun aufgrund der Hochwasserkatastrophe; Aufgenommen von Pflatsch am 25. ... The West face of the Petit Dru above the Chamonix valley near the Mer de Glace. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1443x1800, 2248 KB) See also … See also … Source: Pflatsch Description: Sperre der Straße ins Paznaun aufgrund der Hochwasserkatastrophe; Aufgenommen von Pflatsch am 25. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1443x1800, 2248 KB) See also … See also … Source: Pflatsch Description: Sperre der Straße ins Paznaun aufgrund der Hochwasserkatastrophe; Aufgenommen von Pflatsch am 25. ... The Paznaun is a valley in Tyrol, Austria leading south-west from Pians (850m) to the Bielerhöhe (2036), a mountain pass at the border of Vorarlberg and Tyrol. ...

Romania

Romania was the most affected by the 2005 floods, as it was faced with the most powerful and widespread floods and also the highest loss of life, with 31 dead. Total damages are estimated to be valued at more than 5 billion lei (€1.5 billion). The Romanian leu (, plural: lei ; ISO 4217 code RON; numeric code 946) is the national currency of Romania. ...

Floods were particularly acute in the central county of Harghita, where flooding hit the town of Odorheiu Secuiesc and surrounding localities in mid-to-late August. The flooding was most intense in the period from 24-25 August, when ten people were killed, a further five were declared missing and 1,400 households were flooded. Other counties significantly affected in late August were Mureş, Prahova and Bistriţa. The city of Târgu Mureş, an important regional centre, was also affected by the rising of waters on the Târnava river, even though there wasn't a significant amount of damage caused to infrastructure. Harghita (Hungarian: Hargita) is a county (judeÅ£) in the center of Romania, Eastern Transylvania, with the capital city at Miercurea-Ciuc. ... Odorheiu Secuiesc (Hungarian: Székelyudvarhely, also known as Udvarhely; German: Oderhellen) is the second-largest city in the Harghita county (judeÅ£) in Transylvania, Romania. ... (Redirected from 24 August) August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... MureÅŸ (Hungarian: Maros) is a Romanian county (JudeÅ£) in Transylvania, with the capital city at Târgu MureÅŸ, (population: 165,835). ... Prahova is a county (judeÅ£) in the Center-South of Romania, in the North of the Wallachia region, with the capital city at PloieÅŸti (population: 253,068). ... BistriÅ£a (Hungarian: Beszterce, German: Bistritz, archaic Nösen) is the capital city of BistriÅ£a-Năsăud county, Transylvania, Romania. ... Panorama of Targu Mures Târgu MureÅŸ (Hungarian: Marosvásárhely, also known as Vásárhely; German: Neumarkt am Mieresch) is a city in MureÅŸ county, Transylvania, Romania. ...

In northwestern Romania, the counties of Bihor and Cluj were also affected, although on a smaller scale than Harghita. In Cluj county, over 100 houses were flooded, with the flooding centred around the town of Turda. Railway lines in the county were also closed. The localities of Popeşti, Suplacu de Barcău and Valea lui Mihai were affected in Bihor county. Nord-Vest (North West) is a development region in Romania, created in 1998. ... Bihor (Hungarian: Bihar) is a county (judeÅ£) in North-Western Romania, Western Transylvania in the CriÅŸana region, with capital city at Oradea (population: 206,527). ... Cluj (Hungarian: Kolozs) is a county (judeÅ£) in the center of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Cluj-Napoca (population: 333,607). ... Cluj (Hungarian: Kolozs) is a county (judeÅ£) in the center of Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Cluj-Napoca (population: 333,607). ... Turda (Hungarian: Torda, German: Thorenburg) (population: 55,770) is a city and Municipality in Cluj County, Romania, situated on the ArieÅŸ river. ... Bihor (Hungarian: Bihar) is a county (judeÅ£) in North-Western Romania, Western Transylvania in the CriÅŸana region, with capital city at Oradea (population: 206,527). ...

In mid August, the North-East region of Romania was also heavily affected, with 1,473 evacuated from their homes in Iaşi, Suceava and Botoşani starting from August 16. In Suceava county, 555 km of roads were affected, while nearly 600 bridges were flooded, resulting in the flooding of 520 houses, 16 of which were significantly destroyed. Several communications networks, particularly electric cables and optical fibres, were also affected. Nord-Est (North East) is a development region in Romania. ... Administrative map of Romania with IaÅŸi county highlighted IaÅŸi is a Romanian county (judeÅ£) in the Moldavia region, with the capital city at IaÅŸi. ... Administrative map of Romania with Suceava county highlighted Suceava is a Romanian county (Judeţ) in the Bukovina region, with the capital city at Suceava (population: 118,670). ... Administrative map of Romania with BotoÅŸani county highlighted BotoÅŸani is a Romanian county (JudeÅ£) in the Bukovina region, with the capital city at BotoÅŸani (population: 128,888). ... August 16 is the 228th day of the year (229th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Central Europe and the Alpine region

A stadium in Thun, Switzerland under water

The Swiss capital of Bern was also heavily hit after the Aar burst its banks, and the town of Brienz saw 400 residents evacuated. The village of Lauterbrunnen in the Bernese Alps was completely cut off. The only exit from the town is by a very narrow gorge just wide enough to take the river, road and railway, and the river expanded to fill the entire gorge. This stranded thousands of tourists in the village, and the only way out was by helicopter or by crossing one of the high Alpine passes. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x800, 279 KB) Das Lachenstadion beim Hochwasser von 25. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (1200x800, 279 KB) Das Lachenstadion beim Hochwasser von 25. ... Location within Switzerland Thun (French Thoune) is a town in the canton of Bern in Switzerland with about 41,540 inhabitants (2003). ... Location within Switzerland The city of Bern, English traditionally Berne (Bernese German Bärn , German Bern , French Berne , Italian Berna , Romansh Berna ), is the Bundesstadt (administrative capital) of Switzerland, and is the fourth most populous Swiss city (after Zürich, Geneva and Basel). ... Aar (disambiguation). ... Brienz is a municipality in the Interlaken (district) of the Canton of Berne in Switzerland. ... Lauterbrunnen Valley in winter Lauterbrunnen is a municipality in the Interlaken (district) of the Bernese Oberland, Switzerland. ... The Bernese Alps (German: Berner Alpen) is a group of mountain ranges in the western part of the Alps, in Switzerland. ... A gorge is a narrow passage between steep mountains or hills. ... Tourist redirects here; for the album by Athlete, see Tourist (album) Tourism is the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... The Bell 206 of Canadian Helicopters Robinson Helicopter Company (USA) R44, a four seat development of the R22 A helicopter is an aircraft which is lifted and propelled by one or more horizontal rotors (propellers). ... Look up Pass on Wiktionary, the free dictionary For the Proof of Age Standards Scheme, see PASS. A pass (as a noun) can refer to: a mountain pass, a low place in a mountain range allowing easier passage a strait or passage, usually used of one that is very narrow...

The Tyrol and Vorarlberg states of Austria saw many areas cut off by flooded roads. The lower part of the Rhine overflowed, affecting the Swiss Graubünden Canton, as well as parts of Vorarlberg. The river Danube and its tributaries overflowed in many places, flooding parts of Germany, Bavaria in particular. Several floodings and landslides were reported in Lower Austria and Styria. Robotech anime series, please see Tirol (planet). ... Vorarlberg is the westernmost federal state of Austria. ... At 1,320 kilometres (820 miles) and an average discharge of more than 2,000 cubic meters per second, the Rhine (German Rhein, French Rhin, Dutch Rijn, Romansch: Rein, Italian: Reno) is one of the longest and most important rivers in Europe. ... Graubünden or Grisons (German: Graubünden; Italian: Grigioni; Romansh: Grischun, French: Grisons) is the largest and easternmost canton of Switzerland. ... The Danube (Donau in German; Dunaj in Slovak; Duna in Hungarian; Dunav in Croatian; Дунав/Dunav in Serbian; Дунав in Bulgarian; Dunăre in Romanian; Дунай (Dunay) in Ukrainian; Danuvius in Latin) is Europes second-longest river (after the Volga). ... A tributary (or affluent or confluent) is a contributory stream, a river that does not reach the sea, but joins another major river (a parent river), to which it contributes its waters, swelling its discharge. ... The Free State of Bavaria  (German: Freistaat Bayern), with an area of 70,553 km² (27,241 square miles) and 12. ... Map of Lower Austria showing districts and the four quarters (Waldviertel in green, Weinviertel in red, Mostviertel in yellow and Industrieviertel in blue) Lower Austria (de: Niederösterreich) is one of the nine states or Länder in Austria. ... Styria (die Steiermark in German, Å tajerska in Slovenian) is a state or Land, located in the south east of Austria. ...

The floods also meant the temporary closure of many mountain passes, amongst them the Gotthard in Switzerland, and the Arlberg in Austria. On a section of the Arlberg, the road and rail were washed away. Austrian Federal Railways have issued a statement (in German) that the rail line reconstruction will take at least a month. The main phone and data line between Vorarlberg and the rest of Austria was destroyed and had to be replaced by a radio communication. The modern concrete span of the Devils bridge (Teufelsbrücke) across the Schǒllenen Gorge replaces the older bridge below St. ... Translated from the German-language entry de:Arlberg. ... Logo of the Austrian Federal Railways, ÖBB ÖBB (Österreichische Bundesbahnen - Austrian Federal Railways) is the national railway system of Austria. ...

With rain and flood waters subsiding on August 27, people started to return to their homes, rail and road routes reopened and the cleanup began. August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ...

Poland, where seven bridges collapsed, and Slovenia were was also affected by flooding in August.

Other countries

Bulgaria and Moldova were also affected, though to a lesser extent. In Bulgaria, three months of rain and flooding killed 20 people and left 14,000 homeless. The country was hit by further floods in August, though these did not cause such widespread damage. Moldova was also hit by torrential rains in Augglgug ust.

References

• 22 August 2005. "Infernul s-a mutat în nordul Moldovei" at Gândul (in Romanian). Accessed 31 August 2005.
• 24 August 2005. "Floods cause havoc across Europe" at BBC News. Accessed 28 August 2005.
• 25 August 2005. "European Flood Deaths Rise To 42" at CBS news. Accessed 28 August 2005.
• 25 August 2005. "Ultimele inundaţii au ucis încă zece oameni, iar alţi cinci au fost dati dispăruţi" at Gardianul (in Romanian). Accessed 31 August 2005.
• 26 August 2005. "Europe counts cost of flood chaos" at BBC News. Accessed 28 August 2005.
• 27 August 2005. "Flood risk across Europe subsides" at BBC News. Accessed 28 August 2005.

August 22 is the 234th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (235th in leap years), with 131 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gândul is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 24 is the 236th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (237th in leap years), with 129 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The current BBC News logo BBC News and Current Affairs (sometimes abbreviated BBC NCA) is a major arm of the BBC responsible for the corporations newsgathering and production of news programmes on BBC television, radio and online. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... CBS (formerly an acronym for Columbia Broadcasting System) is a major television network and radio broadcaster in the United States. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 25 is the 237th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (238th in leap years), with 128 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gardianul (The Guardian) is a Romanian daily newspaper published in Bucharest. ... August 31 is the 243rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (244th in leap years), with 122 days remaining, as the final day of August. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 26 is the 238th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (239th in leap years). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 27 is the 239th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (240th in leap years), with 126 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... August 28 is the 240th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (241st in leap years), with 125 days remaining. ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

2005 European floods

• Romanian Railways map of closed lines due to flooding (Romanian)

• Austrian Federal Railways information about restrictions/deviations incurred by the flooding (German)

• Swiss Federal Railways info page about the floods (also German)