Downburst Hits Nový Bor: Roofs Torn Off and Hundreds of Trees Uprooted

On the evening of August 4, a powerful storm accompanied by a downburst struck the town of Nový Bor in the Liberec Region, uprooting several hundred mature trees and damaging the roofs of dozens of houses. According to firefighters, the squall-force winds reached speeds of over 100 km/h, with damage resembling that of a tornado.

A line of severe thunderstorms formed around 5 p.m. near Děčín and moved north and northeast into the Ústí and Liberec regions. The most intense storm cell, bringing heavy rain and hurricane-force gusts, passed directly through Nový Bor in the Česká Lípa district.

Meteorologists say this was indeed a downburst — a sudden downward blast of cold air combined with precipitation. When this heavy, rain-laden air hits the ground, it spreads outward in all directions, generating extremely powerful gusts. Unlike a tornado, a downburst has no rotation; near the ground, the wind simply blows outward from where the column of air struck down.

Roofs Torn Off, Roads Blocked

On Božena Němcová Street in Nový Bor, the wind completely tore the roof off one house. Fallen trees blocked numerous roads in the surrounding area, making them impassable until firefighters arrived.

"In the Nový Bor–Arnultovice area, our units responded to several properties where strong winds had damaged the roofs. Firefighters secured loose roofing material, covered damaged roofs with tarpaulins, and removed dangerously dangling gutters and other structural elements," said fire brigade spokeswoman Jaroslava Benešová. According to her, the storm hit the region hardest on Tuesday, August 4, between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Following the overnight storm, several areas in Nový Bor remain closed. The town administration has closed the Forest Cemetery until further notice, as specialists inspect the condition of trees and clear away storm damage. Town authorities have asked residents to stay away from areas where firefighters, technical crews, or experts are still working.

Other Towns Affected as Well

The storm also hit other parts of the Česká Lípa district. In Skalice near Česká Lípa, a mature linden tree fell onto a private house, damaging its roof. In Cvikov, firefighters had to pump water out of a flooded residential basement.

Fallen trees blocked traffic on numerous local roads and rail lines — including the stretch between Rynoltice and Křižany in the Liberec district, between Stružnice and Horní Police in the Česká Lípa district, and between Jermanice and Rychnov u Jablonce nad Nisou. Firefighters from the Railway Administration in Liberec were also called out several times to the neighboring Ústí Region to clear trees from the tracks.

According to the fire brigade's operations center, roughly another thirty storm-related calls came in between 8 p.m. and midnight — mostly involving fallen trees on roads, as well as downed power lines.

Forecasters warn that thunderstorms could continue through the end of the working week, with some expected to be severe as well.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz