At the World Cup bobsled run on Königssee, excavators dig through rubble and mud, watched by stunned residents. One says he saw photos of the destruction. But even now, when you stand in front of it, you can hardly believe it.
Torrent in the basement
A few hundred meters further, in Schönau: landslides and tidal waves have eaten their way into the houses. A resident was affected a good 20 years ago, but not so severely at the time. This time, a torrent literally pried open the doors of the cellar, he says. It had come so suddenly that preventive measures were no longer possible.
Take a deep breath in the crisis team
At about the same time in the district office in Bad Reichenhall: easy sigh of relief. The situation is slowly easing. Spokeswoman Alexandra Rothenbuchner counted 537 rescue operations by the afternoon. Most of it is now clearing up, especially in Schönau and Bischofswiesen.
500 emergency services in continuous use
Almost 500 men and women have been in action almost continuously since Saturday, they were supported by around 100 Bundeswehr soldiers from the barracks in Bischofswiesen. The disaster ends at midnight. One sees a relaxation of the situation, it is said to justify the district office, the levels have fallen, also the weather situation has improved.
Schools open, tracks close
Schools and daycare centers are open again as of today. The residents of several evacuated houses were also able to return. But the basin is still a long way from normality: the railway line to Bad Reichenhall: tight. The central federal road between Ramsau, Berchtesgaden and Marktschellenberg: always only single-lane passable or even completely closed.
Free bulky waste containers
The district office will set up bulky waste containers free of charge in the various affected communities. In Marktschellenberg at Sparkassenplatz, defective large electrical appliances can also be parked there. In Berchtesgaden there is a collection container in the building yard. There are two containers in Bischofswiesen and in Schönau am Königsee a company at the recycling center accepts bulky waste.
Hard-working helpers in Marktschellenberg
Nevertheless, a lot has already happened – as you can see on the streets in Marktschellenberg. The town hall there, which was flooded, is again clean and shiny – the locals, those affected and the emergency services – they have achieved incredible things over the past few days. In the heavily affected towns such as Schönau am Königsee, work still has to continue for days