Storms flood Rzeszów: hospital inundated, over 200 firefighter interventions across Podkarpacie

Storms paralyse Podkarpacie

A storm front crossing southeastern Poland on Friday, 7 August 2026, brought torrential rain to the Podkarpacie voivodeship, causing widespread flooding in Rzeszów and surrounding counties. Firefighters in the region responded to between 150 and over 200 incidents, depending on the source, with the most calls originating from Rzeszów and the ropczycko-sędziszowski county. The intense rainfall began around noon and covered the entire voivodeship before subsiding by late afternoon. A level 2 warning for heavy rain expired at 16:00.

Hospital and theatre flooded

The University Hospital on Chopina Street in Rzeszów was among the hardest-hit buildings. Water flooded level -1 of the facility, reaching the hospital pharmacy, kitchen, emergency room, and storage areas. Hospital spokesperson Andrzej Sroka announced that the emergency room would suspend patient admissions until approximately 20:00. Firefighters pumped water out for about an hour, and drying of the premises was underway. The MSWiA Hospital on Krakowska Street also experienced basement flooding. The Wanda Siemaszkowa Theatre had its cellars inundated, requiring firefighter intervention.

Streets and transport disrupted

Rzeszów's streets turned into rivers as the storm drainage system could not handle the volume of water. Wyzwolenia Street under the viaduct was impassable for a time, and on Piłsudskiego Avenue water flowed down the roadway, causing traffic jams. Public transport operator MPK reported delays on Wyzwolenia, Paderewskiego, Rocha, and Piłsudskiego streets. One lane on Wyzwolenia remained closed even after water receded because a sewer cover was missing. Firefighters in Rzeszów received about 15 reports of flooded streets. By late afternoon, the situation had stabilized as the rain stopped and drainage systems caught up.

Power outages and wind damage

Anna Olko-Wilk, duty officer at the Voivodeship Crisis Management Center in Rzeszów, reported that 3,295 customers were without electricity, mainly in the Krosno and Sanok areas. One source reported approximately 800 affected customers. The storm damaged 27 medium-voltage power lines. In Przemyśl, a tree blown over by strong winds damaged three cars, with no injuries reported. A similar incident occurred in the ropczycko-sędziszowski county.

Rainfall totals

TVN24 meteorologist Arleta Unton-Pyziołek analyzed 24-hour rainfall totals across the region. The highest was 82 l/m² in Jastrzębia (Tarnów county), followed by 58 l/m² in Lutowiska (Bieszczady county) and 57 l/m² in Tuchów (Tarnów county). At Rzeszów's Jasionka airport, 23 l/m² was recorded, though Unton-Pyziołek noted that locally in the region rainfall could have reached 40 l/m². On the Slovak side of the Tatra Mountains, rainfall reached 80 l/m² in places, causing flash floods.

No casualties

Despite the scale of the flooding, no injuries were reported. Senior brigadier Marcin Betleja, spokesperson for the Podkarpackie PSP commander, confirmed that no one was hurt. Weather forecasters predicted calmer conditions over the weekend, though heat was expected to return on Sunday, 9 August, in western Poland and on Monday, 10 August, across much of the country.