A storm is approaching. - Firefighter perishes, ICE train derails during flood emergency.
Severe rainfall has been persisting since Friday night, with parts of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg experiencing flooding. The excessive downpours have left the ground saturated, causing several streams and rivers to overflow, particularly in Bavaria. Consequently, emergency teams from fire departments and other rescue services are working tirelessly to extract water, secure roads, and deliver aid to affected residents. Approximately two persons are still missing, with a firefighter dying during a rescue operation in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Upper Bavaria. In Offingen, a firefighter is unaccounted for, while a woman is believed to be trapped in a flooded cellar in Schrobenhausen.
Forty-four districts have issued disaster alerts as the rain continues to pummel the region. The situation worsened in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm around midday, with rescue workers anticipating unpredictable flooding conditions without precedent.
The Chief Ministers of Bavaria, Markus Soeder, and Federal Economics Minister, Robert Habeck, inspected the affected areas, with Chancellor Olaf Scholz scheduled to tour the region tomorrow. Their visit comes after praise for the tireless efforts of the aid teams, who have managed to evacuate more than 3,000 people and rescue numerous individuals from swamped houses using boats and helicopters. However, many residents are uncertain if their houses will be habitable again.
Deutsche Bahn's ICE train derailed in Schwaebisch Gmuend due to a landslide. The passenger train was en route from Munich to Cologne when its first two carriages left the tracks. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in the mishap, which prompted the temporary suspension of the rail route between Stuttgart and Munich. The locomotive was successfully recovered thereafter.
Foreigner dies due to electrical shock
Numerous accidents have been caused by standing water on roads, while a 27-year-old employee of an electricity company received a serious electric shock as he attempted to repair power lines at a town hall in Allershausen, Upper Bavaria.
Bavarian State Ministry's Interior confirmed that around 3,000 individuals were displaced by evacuations. Further communication challenges arose when power was shut off preemptively, cutting off some communities from communication lines. Individuals with flat batteries in their cell phones have had trouble reaching assistance.
Limited train travel is anticipated due to the unfavorable weather in southern Germany today. Deutsche Bahn has extended their compensation policy to Monday, allowing travelers with tickets procured from Sunday to Monday to shift their journeys to a later date, as their routes were cancelled.
Significant traffic disruptions are expected: Ingolstadt's A9 motorway, for instance, experienced a dam breach, forcing its closure in Upper Bavaria.
Emergency crews are also engaged in other federal states, such as Ochsenhausen, north of Lake Constance, where the situation is gradually improving. The water level of the Rottum river has decreased somewhat; however, certain sections of Meckenbeuren on Lake Constance are still inundated.
Heavy rains have prompted interventions in several regions of Thuringia, Saxony, and Saxony-Anhalt, as cellars and streets were flooded. In the district of Schmalkalden-Meiningen in southern Thuringia, a mudslide occurred, and access to Hesse and Switzerland was affected in the same manner.
Warnings regarding future storms prompted residents to remain vigilant.
The situation has encountered predictable misfortunes, with causalities ranging from structural damage to loss of lives. The impact extends beyond the visual scenes, as travelers resort to alternative routes to circumnavigate disrupted roads, leading to increased difficulty in navigating the territories in question. While authorities have attempted to mitigate the severity in the best possible manner, it cannot be denied that the scale and extent of the floods has created prodigious challenges for all parties involved. The gargantuan scope and rapidly evolving circumstances of this weather event have provocatively heightened the urgency of adapting to new changes.
Over the remaining part of Sunday, the German Meteorological Service (DWD) anticipates more rain showers and probable thunderstorms in the southern and eastern zones. The weather will improve in almost every region only on Tuesday. As per the DWD in Offenbach, today's weather will consist of showers, thunderstorms, and potential heavy rains in the area covering Lake Constance to Lower Bavaria. However, in the northern and northwestern parts, there is a low chance of rain as clouds will form. Otherwise, it'll be sunny, partly cloudy, and completely dry, with temperatures ranging from 15 to 22 degrees.
