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Covenant Missionaries Escape European Flood Damage
PRAGUE, CZECH REPUBLIC (August 15, 2002) - Evangelical Covenant Church
missionaries Fred and Kelly Prudek and their three children are safe from
recent flooding in Prague that is said to be among the worst in more than a
century, Covenant News
Service has learned.
"We are located in a higher area and not directly affected by the
flooding," the Prudeks reported today. "Our childrens' school, Riverside
School, is almost covered by water and we will have to wait until the water
recedes before the damage can be assessed. Some friends we know are
without electricity.
"Because of the amount of water in certain areas of town, older apartment
buildings, which are primarily made of brick and mortar, are becoming
increasingly water damaged and one building collapsed this afternoon," the
Prudeks said. "Fortunately, that area had been evacuated early Tuesday
morning. We are told that the water may be back to its normal level in
three to four days, but the clean-up will take months."
Prague is a central hub in the Czech Republic, which has a population of
more than 10 million people. Transportation has been virtually shut down in
the city as the Vitava River is flooded 19 feet above flood stage,
according to a recent Chicago Tribune story. The Prudeks said that
only two of the 12 bridges in the city are open for traffic.
While the Vitava River water levels are receding, people living outside of
the city are still being told to stay away from Prague until the city is
cleaned up. Many subway systems
are flooded and won't be operational for weeks. Even the local zoo has been
affected the flood is responsible for the deaths of larger animals,
including an elephant and hippopotamus.
Covenant ministries in other areas throughout Europe also have escaped
damage from flood-swollen rivers, according to Richard and Jan Epps-Dawson
in Halle, Germany, who serve as European regional coordinators for the
Department of World Mission.
"I called and talked to the Epps-Dawsons about the rains," said Byron
Amundsen, coordinator of missionary services. "They told me that all our
mission homes are located above any flooding areas - the places that are
flooding are down next to major rivers."
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