Saarland is breathing a sigh of relief: After the devastating floods, the state’s interior minister gave the all-clear. The situation is different in parts of Bavaria and North Rhine-Westphalia, however. Heavy rain was expected in many places until late into the night.
While the flood situation in Saarland is easing, other regions of Germany are now affected by heavy rain. Streets were flooded in some places, such as North Rhine-WestphaliaFor example, cellars in Wuppertal and Solingen were full. There were 37 operations in the city of Wuppertal, a spokesman said in the evening. “But the situation has been dealt with,” he said.
In Upper Franconia in the north Bavaria Cellars also filled up due to heavy rain – especially in Bamberg and the surrounding area. According to a police spokesman, there were several dozen weather-related operations in the region. There were also some traffic accidents, said the spokesman. Nobody was seriously injured. In addition to the main focus in Bamberg, the rains also caused problems in Hof, Coburg and Bayreuth, it was said. The rain is apparently subsiding at the moment, but the situation on site is not dramatic.
The German Weather Service (DWD) had warned of sometimes violent thunderstorms lasting into the night in a wide strip from Saxony to North Rhine-Westphalia. Even after this, the meteorologists still do not give the all-clear for all of Germany.
Breathe a sigh of relief in Saarland
In Saarland, which was particularly affected, the flood situation has now eased. After the devastating flood over Pentecost, State Interior Minister Reinhold Jost gave the all-clear. According to the latest information, “the weather situation could be downgraded,” he said in Saarbrücken. Only “moderate flooding” can now be expected. Nevertheless, all emergency services are in reserve “and are waiting for a deployment that will hopefully not take place because the weather situation is developing in such a way that the situation will not worsen further.”
On the Pentecost weekend, people in Saarland and the southwest of Rhineland-Palatinate in particular fought against floods. Enormous amounts of rain caused flooding, landslides and flooded streets and cellars. In Saarland, a 67-year-old died as a result of a flood rescue operation. According to Jost, a member of the German Red Cross also died of heart failure after a rescue operation.
The amount of damage caused by continuous rain and storms in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate is still unclear. The water must have completely drained away before the damage can even be assessed, according to the General Association of Insurers (GDV) in Berlin. In Rhineland-Palatinate, 46 percent and in Saarland 47 percent have taken out insurance to protect against natural risks such as heavy rain and floods. On a national average, 54 percent are insured against all natural hazards.
Storms in the north on Wednesday
According to the forecast, the focus of the storms on Wednesday will be from Schleswig-Holstein to Western Pomerania and the Uckermark – i.e. the regions in the north and northeast that have not been affected by severe storms so far. “There is a risk of severe weather here on Wednesday due to thunderstorms and heavy rainfall, while the rest of the country can breathe a sigh of relief,” said DWD meteorologist Marco Manitta. Storms with 30 to 50 liters of rain per square meter are possible in a short space of time.
It doesn’t look like there will be much relaxation for the time being. “Unfortunately, the potential for severe weather will remain elevated in the next few days. A longer period of dry weather is not in sight,” said Manitta, referring to the north and northeast.