Instead of volleyball players – ducks – sekunde.lt

In the riverside recreation area established in Velzy, now it is not entertainers who are spending their time, but ducks swimming, storks frogging. After heavy snowfall and torrential rain at the beginning of the week, all the precipitation eventually ran into the rivers – Nevėžis was also flooded.

Andrius Viržaitis, elder of Velžio, says that such encroachments of the recreation area are not new. There are four or five of them during the year, and this year the water on the coast is tumbling for the third time.

“Nothing new, just now it flooded more than usual – admits the elder. – It hasn’t been like this for about 4-5 years”, – A. Viržaitis thinks that probably the last time the river overflowed its banks like this, there was no recreation area yet.

Will have time to dry

In this area, the bank of the Nevēžis is low. According to A. Viržaitis, Juoda also flows nearby, so the water of two rivers is already flowing through Velžis.

“It’s been snowing quite a bit, so far everything is running out of the fields… But I think it’s day two and that’s it – the water should start coming down,” guesses the elder.

For now, the beach soccer and volleyball court installed last year is soaking under the water. Despite this, according to the elder, the Nevėžio flood will not affect it. It is said that there is no current in this place, so the water will not wash anything from the beach or the sports field.

In addition, the beach volleyball court itself has been raised, and embankments have been made around it to protect against washing away.

“Therefore, we are not afraid at all”, assures A. Viržaitis.

And after the water recedes, it will not be possible to have fun on the sports fields immediately – you will have to wait until it starts. According to the elder, even though they managed to hang the net before the weather cooled down, there were no people who wanted to play volleyball yet. They guess they will start gathering here around the middle of May – just when the coast should no longer be threatened by any natural surprises.

Only inconvenience

As far as A. Viržaitis knows, no one is complaining about the damage caused by the flooded rivers. When the Black comes out of the banks, it covers only meadows or cultivated fields.

Only Welshmen and guests have already managed to like the relaxation area with sunbeds under the water, barbecue area, and the path closest to the river. According to A. Viržaitis, this time the water reached almost all the way to the parking lot – at the lowest point, it was only a few centimeters away.

A few years ago, during the installation of the entire infrastructure, more than 800 thousand European funds were invested here. euros. So it remains to be happy, says the elder, that the water should not leave any losses – only that it caused inconvenience.

According to A. Viržaitis, before the implementation of the project, careful preparations were made so that Nevėžis tends to harden in this place: special nets and films were laid so that the water would drain better, everything was reinforced.

“It was done with the idea that nothing would happen,” the elder does not hide that more funds were needed for such measures and funds.

Photo of P. Židonis

It’s still pouring, but not for long

Lina Žigaitė-Giedrienė, a senior specialist in the Prognosis and Warning Department of the Lithuanian Hydrometeorological Service, confirmed that the water level in the rivers of Panevėžys was still rising.

According to the data of Friday morning, a critical water level value was reached in Lēveni near Kupiškis and Bernatonii – that is, the river gradually overflowed its banks.

The critical value of the water level has also been reached in Neväža.

Only the waters of Sanžile were calmer.

According to L. Žigaitė-Giedrienė, river water rises the most in the northern and southwestern parts of the country. But even here the situation is gradually stabilizing.

“The rise of the water is still being monitored because the rivers have received a lot of rainfall, but a fall is already expected from Saturday,” promised a senior specialist of the Forecasting and Warning Department.

The rivers were mostly filled by the heavy snowfall at the beginning of the week. In Panevėžys, its cover reached about 17 centimeters. After the snow melted, the water flowed into the rivers. Besides, it was raining.

According to L. Žigaitė-Giedrienė, about 12-13 mm of rain fell in Panevėžys on April 22-25. The monthly precipitation rate in the city is about 37 mm.

“So in three days you received almost the entire monthly rate”, – according to the interviewer, nature really did not spare the capital of Aukštaitija rainfall.

According to the senior specialist, southern cyclones filled with moisture moved through Lithuania one after the other and all the country’s rivers received water. There were quite a few beaches this winter – the river in the area is flooded and in late February-early March.

“However, large amounts of precipitation are not expected now, so the water level should gradually fall”, assured L. Žigaitė-Giedrienė.

Photo of P. Židonis