As the Vltava Rises: Flood Degrees

The official flood degrees for the Vltava at Český Krumlov — what each one means, what to do, and where the river sits against the published thresholds right now. The degree in force is declared by the town's flood commission.

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The Vltava is Český Krumlov's oldest risk. This is the ladder of official flood degrees for the town's own gauge — what each one means, what to do at it, and where the river sits against those published thresholds right now. The degree actually in force is declared by the town's flood commission, not by this page.

Right now

The Vltava is at 102 cm

Against the published thresholds, that sits in: Below the first degree.

Steady. Measured 10 Jul, 11:20. Next threshold: 185 cm (1. stupeň — bdělost (watchfulness)).

The gauge sits at Nové Spolí, just above the old town. It reads the river reaching Český Krumlov — not the depth of water in any one street.

Who decides the flood degree

The flood degree actually in force is declared by Český Krumlov flood commission (povodňová komise). A gauge reading passing a published threshold does not by itself mean that degree has been declared — it’s the trigger the authority weighs, not the decision. For the official current degree:

The ČHMÚ station page — the live level and official degree for this gauge

Be reachable when the warning comes

When the river rises fast, minutes matter. The surest thing you can do today is make sure the town can reach you — sign up for the alerts and keep the numbers to hand.

Mobilní rozhlas / MUNIPOLIS — SMS & app alerts

The town's free alert service. Once you register, it sends flood warnings by SMS, email and app — this is how residents were reached in the 2024 floods. Registration is free.

24-hour flood-commission information line

The standing line for the current flood situation. In an acute emergency call the municipal police on 156, or 112.

380 766 333

Sirens

A rising-and-falling 140-second tone — the national 'general warning' — means danger. Turn on Czech Radio or ČT to hear what to do; electronic sirens may add a spoken message.

The flood degrees

Below the first degree

Where the river is now

The Vltava is running below the watchfulness threshold — a normal river.

A calm day is the time to get ready: sign up for the town's SMS alerts and note your nearest sandbag point (below).

1. stupeň — bdělost (watchfulness)

from 185 cm

The river is high enough to watch. This degree arises on its own when a flood danger appears, and eases when the danger passes — it is not formally declared.

Start watching the river and the forecast — this page, and the ČHMÚ flood map.
Make sure the town can reach you: sign up for the Mobilní rozhlas / MUNIPOLIS alerts if you haven't.
If your home is in a low riverside spot, move valuables up and clear the cellar.

2. stupeň — pohotovost (readiness)

from 200 cm

Declared by the flood commission when the danger grows into a flood — water is rising, but not yet spilling widely beyond the channel.

The flood commission is active. Follow its instructions on the town's channels and on Czech Radio.
Move cars off the low riverside lanes — Rybářská, and around Nové Spolí and Vyšný.
Fill or collect sandbags at the Služby města yard in Domoradice (behind Tesco).
Ready an evacuation bag: drinking water, a day's food, medicines and documents.

3. stupeň — ohrožení (endangerment)

from 220 cm

Where the water reaches

The parts of town that have flooded before — worth knowing which one is yours. This is where water has reached, not a street-by-street prediction.

Nové Spolí — By the gauge, the first low ground to feel the river rise.
Rybářská — The riverside lane below the old town; in a flood the town lowers the central weir at Jelení lávka to drop the level here.
Vyšný — Low ground on the northern edge of town.
Plešivec — The quarter across the river from the historic core.
Parkán — The narrow riverfront strip beneath the castle.

Worth knowing

Why the Vltava rises here

The old town sits inside a tight horseshoe bend of the Vltava, fed from the Šumava foothills and released by the Lipno dam upstream. Rain that falls in the mountains reaches Český Krumlov hours later, so the river can rise under a clear sky.

The floods people remember

August 2002 was catastrophic. In 2024 the river reached the 3rd degree twice — in January and again in September. The high-water marks are still on the walls.

Who declares the degree

Český Krumlov flood commission (povodňová komise)

Phone: 380 766 333
Website: www.ckrumlov.cz/cz/co-delat-v-pripade-ohrozeni/

Chaired by the mayor. It declares and withdraws the 2nd and 3rd flood degrees for the town; the 1st degree arises on its own from the river.

Checked 10 Jul, 12:14. Live level from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (ČHMÚ), under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence. Operational, unvalidated readings.