The 1998 Extreme Flood on the Tisza River

Abstract

The risk of flooding is especially significant in Hungary, because of unusual hydrometeorological and runoff conditions in the Carpathian Basin. Before the mid 1800s, disastrous floods had occurred in sequence on various rivers. Since the middle of the 19^th century, river regulation has been conducted to improve the living conditions by introducing flood management activities and initiating construction of a complex flood protection system. Flood protection agencies, at that time independent from each other, were established almost in parallel with these activities. The flood protection system has been continuously improved and changed several times until now. It can be stated, however, that the existing flood protection system, still in need of some further improvements, has protected the country against flooding, without any breach of embankments and major inundation, during the past almost 30 years.