In July 1997 heavy rain over eastern Europe led to a high water-level at the Oder River. What began as a story with local interest only turned out to be of nationwide, and finally international, interest when the dangerous pressure on the dikes of Brandenburg and Poland lasted for days and weeks. Sixty-eight thousand inhabitants prepared to leave their homes; 6,483 inhabitants actually had to. On July 27th, the dike broke and the area flooded by the water of the Oder created a lake of 56.5 square kilometres. In villages near the dike about 200 houses were damaged by the flood - thus about 400 people faced the burden of having to repair their homes.