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Regions in the Czech Republic recently hit by floods have begun tabulating the damage costs. So far, damage to infrastructure and property across 25 municipalities in Plzeň has been estimated at 47.9 million crowns. The figure, however, is preliminary and appears likely to go up. Municipalities have also begun filing for financial relief so far counting 3.7 million. Beroun, not far from the capital, has been tabulating the damage to roads and bike paths, so far estimated at 30 million crowns. The overall figure for total damages there, however, is expected to increase considerably: between 200 and 300 million. Fifty million crowns, meanwhile, is being drawn by the region of Ústí in north Bohemia to be used for clean-up operations and repairs. The figure is not final: the regional governor pointed out it was around a ‘seventh’ of total funds which will be required.

The Czech Hydrometeorological Institute has lifted the flood warning it issued in the regions of central and south Bohemia, Ústí in north Bohemia) and Plzeň (west Bohemia) on Monday. Three towns still face potential danger from floods: Děčín and Ústí nad Labem, on the Labe River, as well as the UNESCO-listed Český Krumlov in south Bohemia, on the Vltava River, ČTK reported. However, water levels have fallen markedly and heavy precipitation is not expected in the country over the next few days. Extensive floods hit Prague and most regions in Bohemia, the western part of the Czech Republic, last week. The floods claimed lives and saw thousands of people evacuated from their homes.

In related news, local employment bureaux have issued approximately 1,280 relief payments to families in areas struck by floods; hundreds of unemployed people also volunteered to help in clean up operations. The news was revealed on Wednesday by the spokesman for the central employment office Jiří Reichl. People whose property was lost or badly damaged in the recent floods can apply for immediate help of up to 51,150 crowns. The spokesman noted that a number of towns and villages had signed agreements with employment bureaux covering publically-beneficial work.

The state-owned power utility CEZ is to waive three monthly bills for households hit by over half a metre of flooding, its director, Daniel Beneš, said on Tuesday. Homes where flood waters were less than half a metre will not be charged for one month’s power, he said. The prime minister, Petr Nečas, described the gesture as a sign of social responsibility and called on other power suppliers to make a similar gesture.

The Czech Hydro-Meteorological Institute that it does not expect any more significant rises in river levels in the Czech Republic. Meanwhile, an order for local authorities to keep in place flood defences erected last week has been rescinded. However, the highest level of flood alert remains in place at a few locations in Bohemia. Eleven deaths have been recorded in connection with flooding that began at the start of last week; material damages have been put at tens of billions of crowns.

The minister of health, Leoš Heger, says his officials will carry out free tests of water in wells in areas that have been affected by flooding. Mr. Heger told Czech Radio that the Ministry of Health was earmarking millions of crowns for analyses of water quality. People have been told to pump out all remaining water and remove mud before having their wells tested. Almost 3,000 wells were inundated during the recent flooding.

New lagoons and ponds left over from recent floods in parts of Bohemia are proving fertile ground for mosquitoes. Officials have so far registered the most in the areas of Třeboň, south Bohemia and Mělník, north of Prague. Potentially more dangerous are mudslides in areas where the ground was thoroughly inundated.

The Ministry of Agriculture is planning to submit an amendment that should prevent massive flood-related damages in the future. One of the things that Minister Petr Bendl plans to propose is that no buildings would be allowed to be built in flood zones. He also told the press on Monday that more efforts should be made to regularly clean river basins, in order to allow better drainage of the rivers. The ministry is still working on the full text of the draft amendment

A fresh wave of heavy rain is prolonging the flood situation in the Czech Republic. Storms on Sunday caused minor flash floods and the inundation of a small number of homes in several regions. The forecast is for more persistent rain between now and early on Tuesday and local authorities have been ordered to keep flood defences in place. Flooding, which has been particularly bad in North Bohemia, began about a week ago. Floodwater contaminated 80 public waterways, 9000 wells and dozens of water treatment plants. Some 34,000 people still have to get drinking water from outside of their homes.