storm
Floods in the southwest – clean up and wait
A snow plow pushes flood mud off a road in Kobern-Gondorf. photo
© Thomas Frey/dpa
The damage caused by the enormous rain and flooding in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate has not yet been repaired. But new rain is already forecast for Tuesday. What’s next in the region?
With sandbags and garbage cans against the mud: On Whit Monday after Flooding at the weekend left many people in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate busy with clean-up work. Continuous and heavy rain led to floods and floods in both countries, and a woman died in Saarland. Initially nothing was known about anyone injured.
But the danger has not yet been averted: it is expected to rain again from Tuesday. With a view to the weather forecasts, calculations were carried out almost hourly, said a spokesman for the Interior Ministry. The ministry is in constant communication with the lower disaster control authorities.
More rain forecast
According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there could be showers and sometimes long-lasting rain in the south of Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate on Tuesday morning. As the day progresses, the rain extends further north. The weather service wrote of heavy or continuous rain lasting several hours with the risk of flooding in streams and rivers. “This time the focus is probably not in Saarland and southern Rhineland-Palatinate, but a little further north, in the area from the Eifel through central Hesse to southeast Bavaria,” said meteorologist Nico Bauer from the DWD. There will be slightly smaller amounts of rain in the flood areas.
review
Enormous amounts of rain had already caused flooding, landslides and full streets and basements in both countries on Friday and Saturday night. The situation initially eased on Sunday, but later in the day there was some heavy rain again. A 67-year-old woman died in the flood. The woman was hit by an emergency vehicle during a rescue operation in Saarbrücken on Friday and died as a result in a clinic on Sunday evening, the city announced. Mayor Uwe Conradt spoke of a “terrible tragedy”.
On Whit Monday there was a short break for the emergency services. “The situation has calmed down,” said the spokesman for the Interior Ministry. Water levels are falling sharply across the country. “The focus is on us being able to clean up and prepare for what may come next.”
Damage in the millions
According to an initial assessment, the flood caused damage “well into the millions,” said Saarland Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger (SPD) to the German Press Agency on Monday. The extent of the damage will only be fully visible once the water has completely receded. “It is already clear today that we will be dealing with massive damage to private property, but also to infrastructure such as roads, bridges and daycare centers,” she said. “We have been fighting against masses of water for a few days, but we will certainly have to struggle with the consequences for years.”
It is clear: “The state will have to help where major damage has occurred and people are overwhelmed by it,” said Rehlinger. The Saar government has already cleared the way for financial aid “so that people aren’t left out in the cold.” People should “now quickly have certainty about the support they will receive,” said the head of government. There will certainly also be discussions with the federal government about this.
The emergency services did “unbelievable things” in more than 4,000 missions, said Rehlinger. In addition, there are more than 10,000 helpers plus thousands of citizens in neighborhood assistance. The SPD politician spoke of an “incredible feat of strength”.
Scholz promises solidarity
Chancellor Olaf Scholz was on site in Saarland with Rehlinger on Saturday. The SPD politician said in Kleinblittersdorf that acute help was now the priority. Once the immediate emergency and danger situation has subsided, it will be a matter of agreeing together what should be done to help those who are in need. “We have a good practice of solidarity there,” said the Chancellor.
Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD), Interior Minister Michael Ebling (SPD) and Environment Minister Katrin Eder (Greens) visited affected areas in Rhineland-Palatinate on Saturday. There were new floods and landslides in Kirn on Sunday evening, and the Sulzbach district in particular was partially impassable, according to the police.
Heavy and continuous rain more likely due to climate change
Activists from Fridays for Future gathered for an action in Saarbrücken on Monday. A spokeswoman said they stood in the Saar wearing rubber boots. “We demand that the climate crisis is not ignored and that there is no negligence,” she said. The German Association for the Environment and Nature Conservation called for an immediate program against the climate crisis and heavy rain, as the Saarbrücken local group announced. “The heavy rain event last weekend was no longer a warning shot, but the first part of a dramatic climate crisis in Saarland,” said Ronald Maltha, spokesman for BUND Saarbrücken.
According to DWD meteorologist Bauer, such heavy rains are becoming more common due to climate change. “They are becoming more frequent and more intense, simply because a warmer atmosphere can hold more moisture and therefore rainfall is more intense.”