The Pärnu city government wrote around 8:30 a.m. that the very large amount of rain that has fallen in the last few hours has placed a heavy burden on the sewage system and that the system is operating at full capacity.

"Unfortunately, both stormwater drainage and sewerage services have been disrupted, and in many places roads are difficult to pass due to water accumulation," the city noted.

The city government is asking motorists to be careful and avoid flooded roads. The city and service providers are working to resolve the situation.

"The situation is really difficult," the city's post reads.

The Weather Service reported that on Friday morning, more than 80 mm of rain had been measured in Pärnu and its surrounding areas in some places.

Meteorologist Kairo Kiitsak reported that as of 9:20 a.m., an exceptionally large amount of rain had fallen in Pärnu and its surrounding areas. Rainfall totals exceeded 100 mm, and in some places passed the 120 mm mark.

Heavy rainfall will continue during the day, especially in southwestern, central and eastern Estonia.

Rääma school sent the children home

Pärnu Rääma School announced on Friday morning that there will be no classes at the school due to heavy rain.

"The sewage system and toilets are not working and the lowest floor is covered in water," said Elmo Joa, principal of the Rääma school, adding that the children are being sent home.

Joa told ERR that they are currently waiting for a pump to remove the water from the basement floor.

"We're all doing well now. The children were coming to school. A lot of the younger ones who came with their parents were able to go back at the door because rubber boots would be suitable as a change of shoes. So they went back home nicely. They were very sad because it was raining outside and it wasn't raining inside. It was exciting here," said Joa.

Deputy mayor: We are declaring an emergency

Pärnu Deputy Mayor Sander Kilk said in a comment to ERR that after the crisis committee met, the city decided to declare a state of emergency.

"Since this water probably won't go away for several hours, there could be damage to property. Another thing we have a problem with are the sewer hatches that have come loose. The sewers can't handle this water, so they are dangerous if people drive cars, bicycles, or walk there," said Kilk.

According to Kilk, this is the first time that such a large flood caused by rainwater has occurred in Pärnu. It also became clear that the city was not prepared for such a crisis situation.

"Right now, the first goal is to resolve today's situation calmly and then we'll look ahead. It turned out that no previous city government has compiled a crisis manual, so to speak. We will definitely do that, and not just in the event of a small crisis, but also in all other possible cases. However, a staff has been put together, including department heads who are currently dealing with it, and we ourselves," said Kilk.

According to the deputy mayor, we currently have to wait for the rainfall to decrease or stop. Then we can start pumping water out of people's basements. In addition, the Pärnu Rescue Association is helping.

The Rescue Board has activated the regional headquarters and is implementing the flood emergency plan activities, supporting the local government. To the Board's knowledge, no lives are in danger.

Water entered the barrier at Pärnu Hospital

Tõnno Sikk, field manager of the Western Rescue Center, said on Vikerraadio's "Uudis+" program that it has been a very busy time for rescue resources.

"We have visited various sites, and there have been reports from private individuals where water has penetrated the basement. We have had to prioritize the events and have provided assistance to both Pärnu Hospital and some elementary schools. We are currently mapping the situation to identify the sites that need our help most urgently," said Sikk.

Water entered one of the locks at Pärnu Hospital, but the situation was brought under control in cooperation with the hospital.

"We also visited Rääma Primary School, where water threatened to flood the server room. We installed barriers there, and volunteer resources also helped ensure that the school did not have to close its doors for an extended period of time," said Sikk.

Professor: This could be called the rain of the century

According to Ottar Tamm, a junior professor at the Estonian University of Life Sciences, measurements have shown that intense rainfall is occurring more and more frequently and there is no reason to believe that this will be different in the future.

"In one hour, 33 millimeters of rain fell in Pärnu, which statistically occurs about once every seven years. In two hours, a total of 56 millimeters fell, which happens once every 22 years, and in six hours, once every 77 years. These are absolute values, but there is a lot of margin, so it can be completely freely called the rain of the century," said Tamm.

While citizens often demand that after every major flood, the municipality should build thicker sewer pipes and dig wider drainage ditches, hydrological scientists do not consider this a good solution.

"We need to do something on the ground to retain this rainwater. This involves nature-based rainwater solutions, where we delay the water. In the case of Pärnu, we are primarily talking about delay, not impregnation - we consciously keep the water in the places where we want it. If we don't keep it there, the water chooses its own flow path and inevitably the lowest place is often the basement," explained Tamm.

According to the researcher, Tallinn has worked hard and addressed the problem, compiling stormwater models and assessing where water collects and where problems arise. Tartu and elsewhere in Estonia have not seen any progress on Tamm.

"Today is a very good example of how we will not get anywhere by continuing as we have been, because there will be more and more such situations in the future. We must be prepared for this, or else society will have to accept that we will start to drown more - this is also actually a solution, but it just needs to be acknowledged," said Tamm.

Several tunnels closed in the Pärnu region

Due to heavy rainfall, the section of Audru Road under the Audru viaduct at km 0.5 is currently closed in Pärnu, as are the pedestrian tunnels under Ehitajate Road in the city of Pärnu, which have remained underwater.

The road maintenance officer and the pump station maintenance officer are inspecting the condition of the tunnels. The necessary traffic signs have been placed on site and the pump station technician is checking the condition of the pumps.

All the tunnel pumps have been operating at full capacity since early Friday morning, but the amount of rainwater has been exceptionally high, and therefore it will take time to pump out the water from the tunnels and dry them.

The rain has started to subside and the situation is expected to return to normal by the evening. The tunnels will remain closed until it is safe to use them again.

In addition to Pärnu, flooding may also occur in other regions. According to the Environment Agency, rainfall will continue in Pärnu County and move across to Virumaa in Järva County.

Editor's note: This piece was updated to include the declaration of an emergency situation in Pärnu, activation of the Rescue Board's regional headquarters, water entering Pärnu Hospital, the "rain of the century" assessment, and the closure of tunnels due to flooding.

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