September 15, 2024 will remain in the memory of the inhabitants of the Kłodzko region for a long time. It was then that intense rainfall led to a rapid increase in river levels and the rupture of the dam in Stronie Śląskie. The water wave, compared to a tsunami, quickly destroyed houses, roads, bridges, workplaces and elements of infrastructure. Thousands of residents lost their belongings.
The District Prosecutor's Office in Świdnica has been conducting proceedings for two years to explain the causes of the disaster and determine who is responsible for the dam breach. One of the key elements of the investigation is to check whether the condition of the embankment could have been influenced by the works carried out by Wody Polskie. Experts from the Wrocław University of Science and Technology are analyzing, among other things, whether previously performed ground works on the embankment, which then broke under the pressure of water, could have contributed to the disaster.
The deadline for submitting their applications has already been postponed. As RMF FM reporter Martyna Czerwińska heard at the District Prosecutor's Office in Świdnica, the results are currently to be revealed by September 30. It is these arrangements that the inhabitants of Stronie Śląskie are waiting for.
"We can't wait any longer"
The prolonged investigation is causing increasing frustration among the victims. They fear that without establishing liability for the dam breach, it will be more difficult to pursue compensation claims.
We can't wait any longer - says Tomasz Mazurek from the cooperative in Stronie Śląskie to the RMF FM reporter.
Prosecutor's proceedings, which are conducted - I don't know if they are sluggish - suspend the possibility of pursuing compensation claims, suspend the determination of the issue of liability, and thus create uncertainty.
Therefore, the housing cooperative in Stronie Śląskie submitted a request to the court to call for a settlement agreement.
The flood destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of people
The state has already spent PLN 11 billion on rebuilding cities and houses in flood areas, but the list of needs is still long. These numbers are primarily about people's stories. For many residents, the flood meant the loss of part or all of their belongings. Many people still use psychological help today.
What do the flood-affected areas look like today? Reconstruction is progressing the slowest in Lądek-Zdrój. Walking around the city, you may get the impression that the catastrophic flood occurred quite recently. The situation is different in Stronie Śląskie, where the most important streets, including Nadbrzeżna Street, have already been renovated.
However, the entire reconstruction is expected to take another 5-6 years. This means that two years after the flood, the city is not even halfway through the process. The government assures that this will be a reconstruction "with a plus" - so that the flood-affected areas will look better after the works are completed than before the disaster.
In Lądek-Zdrój, among others, are planned: construction of a promenade that will connect the old town with the spa part. A representative green square is to be built in Stronie Śląskie, where the police building previously stood. This is part of a larger plan to rebuild towns destroyed by the flood.
