By Kuba Stezycki and Kacper Pempel

STRONIE SLASKIE, Poland (Reuters) – As water receded in Stronie Slaskie, one of many areas worst-hit by huge floods in south-west Poland, residents and volunteers started clearing up in hope their properties can be habitable earlier than the onset of winter.

Components of the mountain city of 5,000 folks have been swamped when a dam burst final weekend throughout Central Europe’s worst floods in additional than twenty years which have induced billions of {dollars} of injury and killed no less than 24 folks.

Miroslaw Wegrzyn, 67, who has been working the “Ice Cool” ice cream store for 30 years, mentioned the water got here above the highest of his door. When it receded, he discovered the constructing stuffed with mud amongst dislodged equipment and a whole bunch of ice sticks.

“A wave almost three meters in front came here and when the dam broke, it swept everything away,” he mentioned, including he was not insured and did know if he would rebuild the store.

The floods swept away properties and vehicles, leaving streets coated with mud, rubble and particles.

“We have to rebuild. Slowly rebuild and wait for the weather to be good and for winter to come as late as possible”, mentioned Grzegorz Ukrainski, 42, a businessman from a metropolis to the northeast, Opole, who volunteered to assist clear up in Stronie Slaskie.