Aid for Tornado Victims in South Moravia (concluded in 2021)

The most significant and devastating meteorological event in Europe in 2021, and the strongest tornado ever recorded in the Czech Republic, swept through seven municipalities in South Moravia on the evening of June 24, 2021. The event claimed six lives, injured more than 200 people, damaged around 1,600 buildings, and destroyed about 100,000 trees. Property damage reached approximately EUR 588 million. This unprecedented natural disaster in the Hodonín region triggered an extraordinary philanthropic response from the entire Czech Republic.

Immediately after the event, we sent EUR 5.9 million in aid to the Hodonín and Břeclav regions. In the first six months after the disaster, under the Emergency Relief pillar, we distributed a total of EUR 1.4 million to 233 households. The remaining EUR 4.5 million has been allocated to the restoration of the extensive Bažantnice area, which was significantly damaged by the tornado.

During the relief efforts, for the first time in history, field‑based aid organizations, private donors, and foundations worked very closely together. Their cooperation proved to be highly effective and helped ensure fast and targeted distribution of aid to people affected by the disaster.

In addition to our foundation, the following organizations actively took part in the relief efforts: People in Need, ADRA, Diaconia ECCB, the Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic and other components of the Integrated Rescue System, the Via Foundation, the ČEZ Foundation, the Czech Radio Endowment Fund, the Karel Janeček Fund of Help, Donio, and other foundations.

Bažantnice Lives!

We complemented our immediate aid after the devastating tornado with long‑term support. We are financially contributing to the recovery of affected areas in Hodonín through a large‑scale foundation project called Bažantnice Lives!

The Bažantnice Lives! project covers the comprehensive revitalisation of the Bažantnice area in Hodonín, involving seven interconnected activities.

In June 2024, we officially opened the House of Nature with its garden – a new visitor centre in the protected nature reserve. The project was developed in cooperation with the City of Hodonín, the Nature Conservation Agency of the Czech Republic, the South Moravian Region, and the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.

The Sports Complex U Červených domků in Hodonín will offer quality facilities for athletes and the general public, while the Suburban Forest Park Bažantnice in Hodonín will provide residents and visitors with a variety of walking and cycling trails, complemented by an educational nature trail.

The renewal of the Children's Village in Hodonín will create a space for leisure activities for children and young people. The revitalised Park in Front of the U Červených Domků Elementary School will become a pleasant meeting and relaxation area for students and local residents. An outdoor sports facility for the public will also be built in the nearby Park U Červených domků.

Thanks in no small part to our efforts, Bažantnice is being transformed into a place where everyone can find something for themselves. It will offer space for relaxation and sports, for families and friends to meet, and will become a place for developing new skills and supporting young athletes. In this pleasant natural setting, people will be able to learn, have fun, and spend time together. The entire Bažantnice Lives! initiative brings together nature care, sports activities, and community life, contributing to the long‑term renewal and revitalisation of the town after the tornado.

Documentary Film: Tornado, One Year Later

We contributed to the production of the documentary film Tornado, One Year Later, directed by Jana Počtová and created in collaboration with Czech Television. The film is based on real stories of people affected by the natural disaster. The director follows three timelines in their stories: what people were doing just before the tornado, during it, and immediately after. The documentary captures how the tornado disrupted their lives after destroying their homes and changed both their sense of safety and perception, and the environment in which they live. The film also highlights the immense wave of solidarity and the philanthropic response to this natural disaster.

As the two‑year anniversary of the disaster approached, we organised a film screening at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., as a gesture of thanks to international donors.

The documentary is available to watch on the Czech Television iVysílání website.

Evaluation Research

As part of a broader consortium of humanitarian organizations and foundations, we also supported the implementation of an evaluation research project, coordinated by the humanitarian and development organization ADRA. The research was financially supported and informed by other NGOs as well, including People in Need, the Humanitarian and Development Centre of Diaconia ECCB, the ČEZ Foundation, the Czech Radio Endowment Fund, the Via Foundation, and Donio.

The research assessed the direct impact of the tornado on households (material damage, how affected people perceived the event, and its consequences for their lives) and also how the assistance was perceived by members of local communities (including association members, mayors, municipal representatives, and regional officials such as members of crisis management teams and firefighters). The results are intended to help formulate recommendations for effectively managing crisis situations.

Initial findings showed that up to 90% of affected people used the available aid. Support from family, friends, and volunteers from the general public was identified as crucial for coping with the situation. The research also examined the role of media and social networks, offering insights that can be used to improve communication strategies in future crises.

We contributed EUR 3,900 to support the research.

Tornado facts

• On June 24, 2021, at 7:20 p.m., the tornado critically hit and caused the most damage in Moravská Nová Ves, Mikulčice, Hrušky, Lužice, and the Hodonín city districts of Bažantnice and Pánov.
• The disaster lasted 35 minutes, hitting a stretch of land 26 kilometers long and 0.5 kilometers wide. Wind speeds reached up to 418 km/h.
• The South Moravian tornado was the most powerful and devastating meteorological event in Europe in 2021. It reached F4 on the Fujita scale, the second‑highest level of tornado intensity.
• The tornado claimed six lives and injured around 300 people. It damaged 1,600 buildings, about 200 of which had to be demolished. Material damage to private and public property reached EUR 588 million.
• Thousands of volunteers came to South Moravia to help. Up to 1,300 firefighters, 500 police officers, and thousands of soldiers were deployed daily after the disaster.
• The volunteer initiative #DíkyZaTo handed out 180 gifts to children affected by the tornado. Thanks to private donors, a total of 468 Christmas gifts were distributed by volunteers to affected families.
• More than EUR 39 million was raised for the municipalities devastated by the tornado in South Moravia.
• The KKFF Foundation sent EUR 5.9 million in immediate aid to the Hodonín and Břeclav regions. In the first six months after the disaster, under the Emergency Aid pillar, it distributed EUR 1.4 million to 233 households. The remaining EUR 4.5 million is being used for the restoration of the extensive Bažantnice area, which was significantly damaged by the tornado.