The Vltava River reached its high-water mark on June 3rd, and then the mass of water rolled on, flooding towns and villages as it went. As in other parts of Europe, emergency teams and normal citizens reacted to save what they could.
“We all remember 2002, but this is a different disaster,” said Manuel Bauer, member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE who manages the entire central Europe region. On a tour of Prague, he saw first hand how measures taken worked to prevent the massive flooding that had happened 11 years before. “It is remarkable to see how well the city and the country have dealt with the floods this year,” he continued.
This did not mean everyone had dry feet. The Allianz head office in Prague itself had a flooded garage. In the countryside, Allianz staff documented on video emergency workers up to their knees going from house to house and making sure people were safe.
“When the rains became severe, we established a crisis committee to handle both our own risks and those of our customers,” said Bauer. “The local staff here have been great: responsive and friendly.”
