Storm Boris: the human toll is rising

Storm Boris took only a few hours to cross Central Europe. But in its path, it killed at least 15 people and forced thousands of people to flee their homes. In its wake, there are overturned huts, torn-up roads and everywhere, the debris of houses. On Monday, September 16, residents in the Czech Republic were overwhelmed by images of chaos.

A few kilometres away, on the Polish side, a dam partially burst, causing water from a lake to flow into a river. A torrent then flooded the streets of a small town. Residents, sheltering in the upper floors of their homes, often without running water or electricity, fear further rainfall. The unusually intense storms have been further amplified by the high temperatures recorded in the Mediterranean in recent weeks.