‘It’s Living Hell’: Rare and Powerful Tornado Sweeps Through Central Europe

A rare and particularly strong tornado has torn through the Czech Republic, killing at least five people and injuring more than 150.

The tornado swept through Hodonín and several other towns and villages in the South Moravian region in the country’s southeast on Thursday evening.

Photos from the affected areas showed a scene of devastation, with houses destroyed and vehicles strewn across roads. South Moravian governor Jan Grolich described the situation on the ground as a “living hell.” Czech Health Minister Adam Vojtěch likened the scenes to a “battleground.”

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One survivor told Czech news agency CTK: “When it came, it rumbled like a tank. It was stopped by the houses in front of us, but it took the roof. I hid in the basement.”

“The area is currently closed to the public. We have received interest from a large number of volunteers, but they cannot currently get into the area. There is a risk of danger, some houses are unstable,” Alena Knotková, spokesperson for the South Moravian governor, told VICE World News over the phone.

According to the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute, while up to five tornadoes are reported to take place in the country each year, none in recent history have been so strong.

“The tornado was likely either EF3 or EF4…which is an exceptionally strong tornado for our area,” said Czech meteorologist Michal Žák. As such, the winds could have reached up to 267km/h.

In Hodonín, a town of over 20,000, there are reports of widespread damage. “According to our estimates, 35 residential houses have been damaged, 14 significantly. Houses do not have rooftops and windows. One of them has been evacuated due to a gas leak,” Petra Kotásková, spokesperson for Hodonín’s local authorities, said in a statement.

In addition to these residential blocks, other buildings were also damaged, including the local retirement home and zoo. VICE World News reached Šárka Krakovská, an employee at Hodonín’s zoo and manager of a shelter within the zoo. “The shelter has been razed, leaving only the walls,” she said. But no animals died as a result of the tornado, and the zoo is currently receiving help from employees and volunteers.

Josef Zouhar, parish priest at Hodonín, saw the devastation on the outskirts of the town. “Everything was damaged there. There are these older houses…Their windows were broken, cars were pushed around…The retirement home had its roof blown off.”

The footage of razed homes has shocked people in the Czech Republic, and led to huge numbers of people volunteering to help and to offer donations.

“We are receiving donations with every moment. As of now, we have received almost 46 million crowns (£1.55 million],” said Hana Sedláková, communications manager for Nadace Via, a non-profit foundation, which organises funding for different projects, over the phone.

Almost 44,000 people have made their donation to the foundation. Other businesses have also sought to help those affected by the tornado, with hotels offering free accommodation and bus transport providers seeking to send in supplies.

Andrej Babiš, the Czech prime minister, has called onto the European Commission to offer financial support to the towns affected by the tornado.