The article is authored by Urszula Ziemska, a journalist at Gazeta.pl.
The situation around Wrocław grew more serious by the day. On July 7, then Prime Minister Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz arrived in Lower Silesia. That same day, the first residents of Prudnik and the surrounding areas were evacuated.
Emergency services fought the forces of nature, but the rain continued. By July 8, around 250 towns were already underwater. Soon, the floodwaters reached larger cities, including Wrocław, Racibórz, and Opole. Kłodzko was cut off from the outside world as phone lines were severed.
The Prime Minister’s Comment: "You Have to Insure Yourself." A Slap in the Face for the Flood Victims
More families lost their homes and life savings. It was in these circumstances that Prime Minister Cimoszewicz made a statement that has been held against him to this day:
"This is yet another case proving that we must be prudent, prepared, and insured, though this truth is still not widespread" - he said when asked about compensation for flood victims.
Cimoszewicz also mentioned that material assistance from state and local institutions would be possible, as well as support for evacuees. However, the three words that stuck with Poles were: "You have to insure yourself".
People were furious. The SLD-PSL government had to deal with two disasters - natural and reputational. Cimoszewicz was upset that the media only repeated part of his statement. To make matters worse, the Polish government also faced challenges in preparing for a visit by U.S. President Bill Clinton, who was scheduled to visit Warsaw on July 10, 1997.
Boats in Wrocław, Coffins in Rybnik: Residents Still Remember
The rain stopped on July 11. There was a brief glimmer of hope that at least one crisis would be averted, but storm clouds returned a week later. Reports from the flooded regions spread across Poland. The most shocking images came from Wrocław, where nearly 40 proc. of the city - about 2,500 homes and apartments - was underwater. In Rybnik, the flood caused a landslide at the municipal cemetery, washing coffins and bodies out of graves. Some residents of the city still remember this...
The disaster that hit Poland exposed the state’s inefficiency. Neglect in flood prevention infrastructure, equipment shortages, and a lack of manpower were revealed. People often fought the flood on their own - trying to reinforce embankments, stacking sandbags on the streets, helping evacuate neighbors, and sheltering those displaced.
The situation began to calm down in the second half of July. It was time to reflect and assess what had gone wrong. The catastrophe affected not only Poland but also Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria. In total, 114 people died in the disaster, 56 of whom were in Poland. Animals, including residents of the Opole Zoo, also perished in the flood.
On July 18, 1997, President Aleksander Kwaśniewski declared a national day of mourning. Flags on public buildings were lowered and draped in black, and all mass events were canceled.
Damages were estimated at 12 billion złoty. The flood affected 25 of Poland's then 46 provinces, covering an area of 700,000 hectares. A total of 1,362 towns and villages were impacted, 7,000 people lost their homes, and 680,000 apartments were destroyed. The water also washed away 4,000 bridges and damaged 613 kilometers of flood embankments.
On July 21, Włodzimierz Cimoszewicz apologized for his statement about the necessity of insurance. When asked the next day why it took him two weeks to apologize, he replied, "Apparently, I had to".
