A lot of rain fell in Saarland on Friday. The police and fire brigade are in constant operation. The extent of the damage is only gradually becoming visible. There is good news from the weather service.
This article has been updated several times.
A federal state in a state of emergency: After constant rain and flooding, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger (both SPD) want to get an idea of the situation in Saarland on Saturday. Meanwhile, the major clean-up work is expected to begin after daybreak. Heavy, continuous rain caused floods and landslides in the small federal state in western Germany on Friday. Initially nothing was known about anyone injured. The German Weather Service (DWD) canceled all severe weather warnings in Germany early Saturday morning. As a result, there were no longer any warnings of “extremely heavy, continuous rain” in Saarland or Rhineland-Palatinate, as the DWD announced.
The exact extent of the damage will probably only become visible with daylight. On Friday and Saturday night, almost the entire state struggled with the floodwaters. Videos showed half-flooded cars, caravans stuck in the floodwaters and numerous flooded streets. Buildings were poorly protected with sandbags, and in some cases entire streets were under water. The situation center in Saarbrücken has so far registered more than 3,000 police and rescue operations throughout the state. The numbers come from early Saturday morning, as a spokeswoman for the situation center in Saarbrücken said.
Local power shutdowns
In the old town of Ottweiler in Saarland, the power had to be switched off as a precautionary measure on Saturday night, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry said. “We have a major disaster here,” said the district administrator of the Neunkirchen district, Sören Meng, in a video on Facebook. “The consequences for the district are very great. Almost all towns and communities are affected.” In Rußhütte, a district of the state capital Saarbrücken, people were evacuated with amphibious vehicles and boats. One street was particularly affected here, said the spokesman for the Interior Ministry.
Because of the storm, Deutsche Bahn reported massive disruptions and cancellations in train and rail replacement services in Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland. The railway announced that unnecessary trips to Saarland should be avoided. Due to the weather conditions, no replacement traffic can be set up.
Damage not yet foreseeable, but expensive
In Völklingen in Saarland, streets have been taken off the power grid due to the persistent rain. “Damages in the millions are expected in Völklingen, especially in the private sector,” it said. “The extent of the damage is not yet foreseeable.”
The State Office for Environmental and Occupational Safety said it was a flood event that occurs every 20 to 50 years. The office expected water levels on the Lower Blies to continue rising until Saturday afternoon. The DWD measured more than 100 liters of rain per square meter in less than 24 hours in some places. A DWD meteorologist said on Friday evening that rivers and infrastructure were not prepared for this heavy rain. For comparison: In the entire month of April, around 74 liters of rain per square meter were measured in Saarland – and this was a sixth more precipitation than normal in that month.
The state capital Saarbrücken, as well as several districts, declared a major disaster. Several buildings in the city had to be evacuated. The city set up alternative accommodation in schools and a citizens’ telephone. “We have evacuations everywhere,” said a spokesman for the situation center in Saarbrücken. “It’s raining everywhere, nationwide.”
Cellars and streets full in Rhineland-Palatinate too
In neighboring Rhineland-Palatinate, the district of Trier-Saarburg with the municipalities of Ruwer and Saarburg-Kell as well as the southern Palatinate and the cities of Trier, Zweibrücken, Pirmasens and Ludwigshafen were particularly affected by the continuous rain on Friday. Cellars and streets were full and trees fell over, as the coordination office of the Supervisory and Services Authority (ADD) reported. According to current knowledge, no one was injured. Many smaller streams and rivers overflowed their banks.
The evacuation of the lower-lying districts in Schoden an der Saar was successfully completed by early Saturday morning. According to the district administration, 220 people were accommodated in a gymnasium. A retirement home was also evacuated in Saarburg and a hotel in Trittenheim on the Middle Moselle. Around 50 people were affected, who were also accommodated in a gym. The water level in the Saar had previously risen so much due to the constant rain that there were fears that the embankment would be flooded. Helpers wanted to try to stabilize the dam with sandbags. “In almost all places along the Saar, streets and buildings are flooded, and in many communities smaller bodies of water are overflowing their banks,” said the district authority.
Extreme humidity
How the “Pineapple Express” weather phenomenon is flooding California
In Trassem in the same district, three people who were trapped in their houses due to flooding were freed by rescue workers. The Trier-Saarburg district announced this on X. It was said that several residents in Trassem had barricaded themselves in their houses. “It is strongly advised not to resist any evacuation requests from the emergency services, this can have life-threatening consequences and the levels continue to rise,” the district said.
What’s next?
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) thanked the THW, police and fire brigade on X. “Great respect and thanks to all emergency services for their tireless efforts to protect human lives!” she wrote. On Saturday, after a restless night, the clean-up begins for many people in the affected regions. Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) also expressed sympathy late on Friday evening on through the next bad hours.”
The state government sent a message to citizens on Saturday night and took the first steps to provide financial aid. “Many Saarlanders are worried about their homes and belongings or have already suffered severe damage,” said Prime Minister Rehlinger. “So that no time is lost, the state government has made short-term decisions that will provide help to repair the damage that has occurred.” However, no one can yet give specific amounts.
In a call late on Friday evening, the Council of Ministers identified a so-called elementary event of supra-local significance. According to the State Chancellery, this means that state aid can flow. In addition, municipalities could deviate from budget balancing regulations due to the extraordinary emergency situation. “The state government and municipalities stand together – like the whole of Saarland,” said Interior Minister Reinhold Jost (SPD).