People at the fair in Brno were finding out how to protect their homes from flooding

Brno - People whose homes were flooded by heavy waters in recent years came to the Building Fair in Brno today. They were looking into how they can protect their property from floods. For example, a whole bus came from the South Bohemian town of Veselí nad Lužnicí. The city was hit by floods in 2002 and another major flood occurred last year, said the city's mayor Jaromír Novák to ČTK.
    In Veselí five years ago, water inundated 40 percent of the built-up area, damaging 500 to 600 homes and completely destroying about 40 apartments. It threatened again last year. According to the mayor, the city plans flood protection measures costing approximately 150 million korunas. It intends to build dikes and in some areas create mobile barriers. In addition, underground walls up to six meters deep will need to be constructed to prevent water from seeping in from the river. Veselí is built on sandy soil.
    At the fair in Brno today, residents of Veselí were finding out how to secure the sewage system against flooding and what measures residents themselves can take against high waters. For instance, Milan Fríd had 165 centimeters of water in his house in 2002, and last year it rose to 45 centimeters in the living area. As he told ČTK, his wife is particularly affected by the floods and constantly talks about moving. However, Fríd built the house on the banks of the Nežárka River only 15 years ago, so he is more inclined to think about securing it.
    "We are preparing a reconstruction of the sewage system, we want to install backflow valves," Fríd said. The family reportedly also considered surrounding the entire house with mobile barriers, but that would be too expensive. "The price of 10,000 korunas per meter of barrier is so incredibly high that it might be cheaper to build a new house," Fríd noted.
    According to Jan Papež from the Czech Flood Prevention Association, companies and municipalities have shown more interest in flood protection measures in recent years. Demonstrations on the Brno exhibition grounds regarding this topic have also been seen by several thousand people. In front of Pavilion Z, builders constructed a stand-alone house, where they simulate flooding. Water is right up against the wall, and protective elements are used to seal the doors and windows. Another model demonstrates how mobile barriers work.
    Flood protection measures have been presented at the Brno Building Fair for the sixth time. This year, 37 companies from the Czech Republic, Germany, and Sweden are participating in a joint exhibition.