Floods – Southern Germany under water – situation in Switzerland not resolved – News

In the south of Germany. In Switzerland there is a risk of flooding on Lake Constance and the Upper Rhine.

It’s all about this: The south of Germany is struggling with severe flooding. In Switzerland, too, heavy rainfall on Saturday morning in eastern and parts of central Switzerland and in the Swiss plateau led to numerous floods, landslides and flooded cellars. The flood situation remains tense, as further rainfall is expected.

Location in Switzerland: According to the federal government, the risk of flooding in northern and eastern Switzerland eased slightly on Sunday afternoon. As the rainfall has subsided, the flooding has begun to recede in many rivers. The danger level has been lowered on several rivers, but there is still a “significant risk” (danger level 3) on the Upper Rhine and Lake Constance, according to the federal government’s danger bulletin.

Floods in Switzerland

The water levels of the Sihl, the Aare below Lake Biel and the Walensee are now at danger level 1 (“no or low danger”). The warning issued for these waters has been lifted. The warnings for the Thur and the Rhine at the outflow of Lake Constance have also been reduced. Danger level 2 (“moderate danger”) still applies.

Increased rockfalls near Brienz/Brinzauls (GR)


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The heavy rainfall has led to an increase in falling blocks and rocks from the landslide above Brienz GR. According to authorities on Friday afternoon, there is no danger for the village. The Brienz/Brinzauls municipal administration advised the population on X to stick to the safety zone.

In mid-March, several thousand cubic meters of rock material fell above the municipality. The Graubünden mountain village was spared. There was no danger for the residents. Brienz was evacuated on May 12, 2023. Up to two million cubic meters of rock threatened to fall from the mighty mountain slope above the village, the volume of 2,000 single-family homes. During the night of June 16, 2023, 1.2 million cubic meters of rock fell in a massive debris flow. This stopped just before the village and left it undamaged. At the beginning of July, the people of Brienz returned to their homes.

Lake Zurich and Lake Lucerne reached their highest levels during the day on Saturday. They were still at danger level 2 on Sunday, with a slight downward trend, it was said.

Fire brigades in constant operation


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By Saturday morning, Zurich fire departments had been called out 200 times because of water in buildings or flooded streets. The Zurich Oberland as well as Zell and Turbenthal were particularly affected, wrote Schutz&Rettung Zürich on the short message service X. The professional fire department was also called out several times in the area of ​​the city of Zurich because of water damage.

In the canton of Thurgau, more than 150 reports of damage had been received by Saturday afternoon. In most cases, the fire brigades were called out because of flooded cellars, the cantonal police said. In some places, the Thur and smaller streams overflowed their banks and landslides were also reported. No one was injured.

In the canton of St. Gallen, the emergency call center coordinated around 90 fire service operations, the cantonal police said in response to a query. The northern part of the canton was particularly affected.

In the canton of Zug, several house entrances, cellars and laundry rooms were under water. The police registered 15 reports. A lot of water also collected on the A14 motorway between Baar and Zug, the Zug police also reported. Lake Zug and Lake Ägeri overflowed their banks in some places.

Floods in southern Germany: After days of continuous rain, numerous districts in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have declared a state of emergency after rivers burst their banks. Hundreds of people have had to leave their homes and tens of thousands of helpers are on duty. The flooded community of Meckenbeuren on Lake Constance has warned against flood tourism. Onlookers would hinder emergency services and put themselves and others in danger, the community near Friedrichshafen said.

flood in Germany

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) currently has more than 1,800 people on duty, a spokeswoman said on Sunday morning. The helpers are securing dams, filling sandbags and supporting the evacuations.

Victims and damages: On Sunday, a firefighter died during a rescue operation in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm in Upper Bavaria. He and three colleagues capsized in an inflatable boat during an operation and were recovered dead early in the morning, a spokesman for the Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm district office said.

Habeck recognizes the efforts of the helpers


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Federal Minister of Economics Robert Habeck (Greens), who wanted to get an idea of ​​the situation in Bavaria late in the morning, was dismayed after the death of a firefighter.

“The emergency services, both volunteers and full-time employees, are risking their lives in the flood areas to save people,” said Habeck. This is not something to be taken for granted.

According to the authorities, a dam broke in two places in Upper Bavaria on Sunday. This protects the community of Baar-Ebenhausen on the river Paar, a tributary of the Danube. After the dam broke, there is a risk of further flooding in the district and evacuations are underway. It is not possible to repair the broken dams and lives must now be saved.

High-speed train and gravity cars on tracks surrounded by workers and trees.

Legend:

According to a railway spokesman, the passengers remained uninjured and were evacuated from the train on Sunday night.

KEYSTONE / DPA, Marius Bulling

The railway line near Schwäbisch Gmünd, which was closed after a landslide, is now open to single-track traffic again. However, only low speeds are possible, said a railway spokeswoman. An ICE train carrying 185 passengers derailed on this section on Saturday evening.

Difficult weather forecast: The German Weather Service (DWD) is warning of further heavy rainfall, particularly in southern Germany. Extreme amounts of rain are possible in the Stuttgart area early Sunday evening. Strong thunderstorms with heavy rain are expected from Saxony to southern Brandenburg and Berlin. During the night, the Black Forest, the Swabian Jura and the Alpine foothills up to the Bavarian Forest could be affected by heavy rain lasting several hours. The heavy rain could reach up to 40 litres per square metre per hour in some places.

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