Shortly before Christmas, a severe storm hits Germany. There are major problems with rail traffic, especially in the north, ferries are canceled and Christmas markets remain closed. There are warnings about storm surges on the coasts.
The violent storm “Zoltan” is moving over Germany and leaving behind a lot of damage. There is a risk of flooding for the North Sea coast and Hamburg. In the Elbe area of Hamburg, the police warned of a severe storm surge in the morning. According to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), the water levels will then rise to around three meters above mean high water. According to police, the affected area should be avoided.
The experts from the BSH also predicted severe storm surges for the East Frisian coast and the Weser area. Flood waters there in the morning and midday are expected to be up to three meters above average. On the North Frisian coast, water levels of up to 2.50 meters above mean high water are expected. A storm surge is considered severe if the water level is 2.50 meters above mean high water.
Rail traffic affected
Rail traffic has been severely affected by the storm since Thursday. There are numerous cancellations and delays in regional and long-distance transport due to storm damage. “In some cases, damage can only be fully assessed in daylight,” a railway spokesman said in the evening.
Today there are further delays and train cancellations in long-distance transport. Railway lines in the north are particularly badly affected, writes the railway on its website. There could be cancellations or delays on the connections between Hamburg and Frankfurt as well as Hamburg and Munich. ICE and IC trains between Cologne and Kassel will also be canceled for the time being. According to the information, no ICE and IC trains stop in Marienhafe, Norden, Norddeich and Norddeich Mole. The EC train routes in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein are also affected.
There were also weather-related delays and cancellations in regional transport on Thursday, which continued into the night. Near Hamburg, traffic was stopped on some routes.
There is no train connection
All passengers who have to postpone their planned trip due to the storm can use their ticket at a later date, according to Deutsche Bahn. The train connection has been lifted. The ticket is valid for the journey to the original destination, even with a changed route. Seat reservations can be canceled free of charge.
Due to the upcoming Christmas holidays, the long-distance trains are already very busy, the railway said. Passengers should find out in advance – for example via the website or the Navigator app – about the occupancy of long-distance trains and, if possible, travel at off-peak times.
Storm damage in North Rhine-Westphalia
In North Rhine-Westphalia, relief and rescue workers went on numerous missions. The police in Bonn received around 76 emergency calls about fallen trees and damaged cars. The storm caused massive damage to the roofs of many houses. In the Poll district of Cologne, a photovoltaic system was completely torn down. A warehouse was largely covered, and debris landed on the railway embankment and overhead lines, which led to disruptions in rail traffic. During the night, Deutsche Bahn technical services began repairing the damage to the overhead lines.
Two injured in Saxony-Anhalt
In Saxony-Anhalt, numerous trees fell over during the night due to the stormy weather, and branches and traffic signs broke off. In Salzwedel and Gommern (Jerichower Land district), two people were slightly injured, as the Stendal police announced this morning.
According to the police, a van in Salzwedel left the road due to strong winds and a tree fell on a car in Gommern. In the Harz, between misery and worry, according to Magdeburg police, the B242 is closed until December 26th as a precautionary measure due to the risk of storm damage.
A person crashed their car into a tree on the road in Fahrdorf in Schleswig-Holstein and was seriously injured. The injured person was taken to a hospital.
In Central Hesse, the storm has so far caused damage worth an estimated 130,000 euros. The damage to buildings, roads and cars during the night was mainly caused by falling branches and downed trees.
Christmas markets remain closed
The hurricane-like gusts not only caused trees to fall onto tracks, but also onto roads. Christmas markets remained closed or closed earlier and ferries were canceled – such as the trips between Rostock and Gedser in Denmark. In addition, the Fehmarnsund Bridge in Schleswig-Holstein had to be completely closed, according to police.
The Lower Saxony State Office for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN) issued a flood warning for the entire state. In many places the first rivers would overflow their banks and flood forestry and agricultural areas.
All of Germany affected
The German Weather Service (DWD) issued warnings in exposed locations on Helgoland and the North Sea coast as well as on Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea Wind speeds of levels 11 and 12 . The service wrote on