Weather
First all-clear after floods in the southwest
So far, people in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate have mainly fought against floods – now the consequences of the storm could also affect other regions. photo
© Karl-Josef Hildenbrand/dpa
The worst is over. Nevertheless, weather developments in Saarland and parts of Rhineland-Palatinate are being closely monitored. We are prepared for the levels to rise again.
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.” The situation will continue to be monitored very closely. “We are prepared,” said the spokesman for the Interior Ministry. “At the moment it looks very calm, very clear and relaxed,” he said.
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 “comrade” also died of heart failure after a rescue mission. It is a member of the German Red Cross from the Merzig district association.
Water levels expected to rise moderately
There are currently no major operational situations in Saarland. According to the flood situation report, water levels in the Saar catchment area will no longer fall, but are expected to rise again in the morning. However, the increase will be “moderate” due to the announced amount of precipitation, it was said. Since there are also expected to be thunderstorms, there could be a “short-term, sharp rise in water levels” in individual smaller bodies of water.
Where this will be the case cannot be predicted. The State Office for Environmental Protection and Occupational Safety said people around small bodies of water and in areas that are particularly at risk of flooding and are still flooded should therefore be particularly careful.
Historic flood
Saarland’s Prime Minister Anke Rehlinger (SPD) said that the flood was “a real catastrophic event of historic proportions” after the flood of the century in 1993. There was no district that was not affected. More than 4,000 operations were carried out. It is still too early to give a complete picture of the damage. The state government is already promising financial support. The exact way in which this will be implemented is still being finalized with the municipalities. “By the end of the week we will announce how this will be done and where applications can be submitted,” she said.
According to the German Weather Service (DWD), an official warning of continuous rain continues to apply for Saarland and the southwest of Rhineland-Palatinate. For Saarland, rainfall amounts of 10 to 20 liters per square meter are expected, and in places during thunderstorms up to 30 liters per square meter. The rain should then move away in the afternoon or evening, said a spokesman.
In Rhineland-Palatinate there could be thunderstorms and heavy rain in the north and northeast during the afternoon and into the night of Wednesday – with 15 to 30 liters of precipitation per square meter, in places 40 to 50 liters or more in the daily total.
Summary of storm damage
The amount of damage caused by continuous rain and storms in Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate cannot be estimated for a few days at the earliest. According to the General Association of Insurers (GDV) in Berlin, the water must first have completely drained away before the damage can be assessed. This will take a few more days and also depends on how the further forecast rainfall develops. R+V Versicherung in Wiesbaden warns against repairing water damage hastily and without specialist knowledge.
According to GDV, 46 percent in Rhineland-Palatinate and 47 percent in Saarland 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.