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Costs for flood damage in southern Bohemia and central and northern Moravia have been estimated at more than 5.6 billion crowns. The figure has been calculated by staff of the Central Flood Commission. Staff did not fix a precise figure for the latest damage but reckoned it would exceed the bill for floods in 2006. The Spring floods that year affected seven regions and caused nine deaths.

Clean-up operations are underway in the southern and eastern parts of the Czech Republic where 62 towns and villages were hit by heavy floods in the past few days. Although water levels are now receding around the country, the danger is far from over with meteorologists predicting more heavy rain into the week.

Heavy rains caused flooding in parts of southern Bohemia on Sunday. The region’s governor declared a state of danger, the second highest level of alert. Swollen rivers flooded several municipalities; some 400 people have been evacuated while hundreds of households have been cut off from electricity supplies. South Bohemia is the second region of the Czech Republic hit by flash floods in the past few days. On Thursday, parts of northern and central Moravia were flooded; thirteen people died in the floods while the costs of the damages have been estimated at more than two billion crowns.

Meteorologists warn that rains will continue into the next week, keeping the east and southwest of the country on flood warning until Wednesday.

The Czech government is ready to increase the deficit of the state budget in order to help people affected by the floods, Deputy Prime Minister Martin Barták told Czech TV on Sunday. Mr Barták said however that the cabinet would first look into other ways of providing assistance to the devastated areas. The government has so far granted 99 million crowns, or more than 5.3 million US dollars, of relief funds to those affected by floods in northern Moravia and southern Bohemia. Czech army has also sent 1,000 troops to help with the clean-up.

In related news, Prague’s emergency council decided on Sunday to erect anti-flood barriers to protect the city’s historic centre from flooding. A low, level one flood warning will remain in place for the Vltava River until mid-week. The Czech capital was heavily hit by floods in 2002; a new anti-flood system was put in place to prevent any such disaster in the future.

Heavy rain complicated conditions and led to renewed flooding in seventeen towns and villages in northern Moravia late on Friday. Overnight rescue crews worked to save 64 people and evacuate 150 individuals after their homes were hit by floodwaters. One person, a volunteer fire fighter, was reported missing and crews found his body on Saturday. He is the 12th flood victim in the area. Meteorologists are warning, meanwhile, that the danger is not over: emergency warnings remain in effect and areas of northern and central Moravia, as well as southern Bohemia, could be hit by additional flooding in the coming days. More than 500 soldiers are now on site in Moravia operating heavy machinery, and additional backup is on the way. Damage caused by the flash floods, which began on Wednesday, has already been estimated in the hundreds of millions of crowns.

In related news, a mild (level one) flood warning will remain in place for the Vltava River until mid-week, but the Czech capital, which lies on the river, is not under any threat. Prague Mayor Pavel Bém made the announcement on Saturday after a meeting with crisis team officials. The capital, meanwhile, is offering financial and material help to devastated areas.

The death toll from flash floods in parts of the Czech Republic has risen to 12: one person in southern Bohemia lost their life on Thursday and another in Moravia after she was unable to receive medical aid. 11 people have died in central and northern Moravia alone since flash floods first hit earlier this week. The highest flood alert levels in the region have since been lowered with water levels now mostly falling. Many residents have been staying at emergency shelters since roads, gas and electricity supplies were damaged. 11 remain in hospital. On Thursday the government offered to send 1,000 soldiers to help with clean up operations, with the authorities releasing hundreds of millions of crowns in emergency aid.

The clean-up operations have begun in northern Moravia following the region’s worst flooding in over a decade, in which 11 lives were lost. Hundreds of families were evacuated from their homes while thousands in the region remain without gas and electricity. On Thursday, Prime Minister Jan Fischer pledged millions of crowns, and 1,000 soldiers, to help pick up the pieces in the areas worst affected. Earlier today, I spoke to Czech Radio’s Igor Horváth in Ostrava, I asked him first about how the situation had developed there overnight:

In Business news this week: the Czech Republic is counting the costs of the flash floods hitting northern Moravia; the Czech Nation Bank keeps its key interest rate unchanged; a new runways at Prague’s Ruzyně Airport promises around 17,000 jobs; energy giant ČEZ is going to build a new gas-fired power plant; and the Investor of the Year awards are handed out.