The disastrous floods that occurred in the upper part of the Danube River Basin put flood preparedness in Slovakia and Hungary to the test. The slight decrease in the discharge due to water retention in the upstream riverbed and a good status of the Danube flood defence structures in both countries minimized the damages compared to the situation in Germany and Austria. However, experts are still debating whether Budapest would have suffered a much more severe flood had it not been for the Gabcikovo Dam system. Some experts are of the opinion that this system helped to manage the water discharge and hence to decrease the risk of flooding downstream. Opinion is clearly divided and the debate goes on. The scientific community has yet to provide us with a joint and clear explanation about the role of this controversial dam in flood management. Before they do so, one thing remains clear even to the non-professionals – that Budapest was saved from the flood.