Rain without end: helicopters and boats rescue people from floods
Published: Saturday, Jun 1st 2024, 16:30
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Dam bursts, flooded roads, helicopters rescue people from masses of water: The south of Germany is struggling with severe flooding. The situation could get worse on Saturday due to the continuous rain. The German Weather Service (DWD) declared the highest storm warning level for several districts in Bavaria. Several rivers and streams burst their banks. A state of emergency was declared in several districts. There were no reports of casualties or major damage by the afternoon. Fire departments are in constant operation.
The situation around Augsburg was particularly tense. Residents in the village of Diedorf had to leave their homes after two dams burst, according to the responsible district. Due to the high water masses, an evacuation is being prepared in the Diedorf district of Anhausen, the Augsburg district office announced. "It is no longer sufficient to go to higher floors." Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder and Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (both CSU) visited the site to get an idea of the situation.
Even though there was no widespread flooding until the afternoon, the situation was already threatening in some areas. In Babenhausen, south of Ulm, emergency services used boats to rescue people from their homes. In Fischach in the Swabian district of Augsburg, helpers used a helicopter to rescue people from their homes trapped by the floods. The residents would not have been able to leave the area by any other means, said a spokeswoman for the district administration.
Flood of the century feared
Heavy rain has been falling for hours, especially in southern Germany. On Saturday afternoon, the highest severe weather warning level 4 was issued for regions in more than ten districts in Baden-Württemberg and especially in Bavaria due to heavy continuous rainfall. According to the DWD, a wide strip from Pfaffenhofen to Lake Constance was affected.
In some places, there are fears of a flood of the century. This is a calculated value and refers to a flood that is statistically reached or exceeded once every hundred years. As of midday on Saturday, many severe weather warnings initially apply until Sunday, with some extending into Monday.
According to meteorologists, 135 liters per square meter have fallen within 24 hours in Sigmarszell-Zeisertsweiler in Bavaria since 8:00 a.m. on Friday. In Kisslegg in Baden-Württemberg it was 130 liters. In several cities in the two federal states, rainfall amounts of more than 100 liters per square meter within 24 hours had accumulated by early Saturday morning.
Flooding in Baden-Württemberg
Land under water also in parts of Baden-Württemberg. Areas in Upper Swabia were affected. Rivers burst their banks. In contrast, the two cities of Ulm and Neu-Ulm were no longer expecting extreme flooding on Saturday. "However, reporting level 4 will be reached on the Danube and reporting level 3 on the Iller," the two municipalities announced. In this respect, the cities could give a first cautious all-clear. A central sandbag storage facility has been commissioned at the Friedrichshafen exhibition center on Lake Constance, a fire department spokesperson announced. Around 10,000 sandbags are to be brought there from a neighboring district.
Fire departments and other rescuers were called out countless times due to the weather. Figures are not yet available. There is also no overview of major damage as yet. In southern Germany, around 400 members of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) have been deployed so far. According to reports, the helpers pumped out water, secured dams and took people to safety as a precaution. "Due to the persistent and in some cases heavy continuous rain, the THW is prepared to deploy additional forces in a targeted manner."
Baden-Württemberg's Environment Minister Thekla Walker (Greens) said in an initial assessment: "As initial experiences on the ground show, it has paid off that the state government has mobilized and permanently secured a lot of money for dams, rainwater retention basins and municipal heavy rain concepts in recent years."
Appeal to the public to exercise caution
Warnings of heavy rain and thunderstorms were also issued for Saxony and Thuringia on Saturday. Many events there had already been canceled in advance. The German Catholic Day is still being held in the Thuringian state capital until Sunday. Heavy rain was also expected in Brandenburg.
The Saxon town of Plauen also prepared for storms and flooding. Since 5.00 a.m., the dyke and bridge guards have been on duty along the course of the Weisse Elster river, said the head of the Plauen professional fire department, René Schreiter. So far, 10,000 sandbags have been filled and around 3,000 have been distributed.
Authorities in several regions of Germany called on the population to exercise caution in view of the weather. The Saxon State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology appealed to people to take care of their own safety in the event of high water and flooding. This means: stay away from watercourses, do not walk or drive into cellars, underground garages and underpasses during heavy rainfall and do not cross flooded areas on foot or by vehicle.
Cancellations in rail traffic
It wasn't just in Germany that rain caused problems for people. On the border river Leiblach between Germany and Austria, the water levels dropped after extreme flooding on Saturday night. "We got off lightly," said a spokesperson for the rescue control center to the German Press Agency. At times, the water levels were as high as a flood that statistically only occurs every 100 to 300 years. There were also storms in the north of Italy on Friday.
In Germany, the weather affected rail travelers. According to Deutsche Bahn, there were disruptions and train cancellations in southern Germany. Two ICE routes in particular were affected, according to a Deutsche Bahn spokeswoman. No trains ran between Munich, Bregenz and Zurich throughout Saturday due to the flooding. The route between Ulm and Augsburg was also affected.
©Keystone/SDA
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