Oh, Yes; There Will Be Floods

The swollen Wisla has risen—and crested—here in Warsaw. The total toll in Poland has gone up to about seventeen souls; most were in the southern Poland where the flooding is worse. Here, in Warsaw, the Vistula has swallowed the walkways meandering along its banks and even threatened the zoo. Zookeepers were worried they would have to put down a lot of animals rather than risk their escape. (There are no other holding places for these critters?)

The Vistula became a sort of an attraction, drawing in the largest crowds the normally-sleepy Powisle district had seen in years. They lined the bridges and pressed up against the tape to watch the swift current and marvel at how quaint the benches looked under the flow.

Poland is no stranger to flooding; it happens every year and is something to be expected. This year's flooding has been the worst in a decade. The wet spring led the rivers to wreck havoc on a country known for its flat central plains.

At first glance, it doesn't seem so bad.

The road just leads underwater.