Violent Weather Condition - Persistent rain causes South's extreme weekend with flooding.
Disastrous downpours during the weekend led to significant flooding in areas of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Countless public servants have worked non-stop since Friday night, constructing barrier walls, emptying water, confining risky areas, and delivering aid to those trapped at their immersed households. In Bavaria, it has been reported that one firefighter has passed away, and another is beyond reach, along with a female resident. While preparations are underway for incoming flooding waves on the Danube River, experts cite climate change as a likely factor increasing the frequency of severe weather events.
Monday will see Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Interior Minister Nancy Faeser headed to Reichertshofen, situated in Upper Bavaria, to check on emergency efforts being made there. Previously, Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck alongside Bavarian president Markus Söder and Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann visited regions with immediate needs on Sunday. Söder lauded those in the afflicted zones, "We're all In this together. We'll make it through this." Scholz and Habeck depicted their shock upon hearing about the loss of life of a firefighter in Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm. Habeck emphasized that both volunteer and professional emergency personnel have risked their lives for the sake of the flood-struck residents, assuring, "He died preventive people from the flood." The firefighters were in a lifeboat when it capsized, with only the others making it to safety; the missing individual's body was found early Sunday.
A worker for an energy company experienced a powerful electric shock in Allershausen, within the Upper Bavarian region of Freising, as part of flood-related tasks. Police have issued a notice regarding the accident.
The Overcoming of this Situation Still Far
Crisis conditions also persist in Baden-Württemberg - there are instances of overflowing streets, like Meckenbeuren within the Bodenseekreis. During the previous evening, two passenger cars of an ICE derailed near Schwaebisch Gmuend due to a landslide. Though the passengers remained unharmed, they were transported to safety throughout the night on Sunday.
The Baden-Württemberg state leader, Minister President Winfried Kretschmann (Greens), urged resilience, communicating, "We're managing a very difficult situation we have not yet conquered." Kretschmann clarified his delay when visiting the afflicted area, citing the immediacy and potential impact of every extra hand in assisting, "I've opted to avoid immediate visits where every bit of help would be beneficial, but have continual updates and potentially plan a visit on Monday morning."
In Bavaria, still missing are a firefighter in Offingen and a woman in Schrobenhausen, likely being held captive in flooded cellars.
Relentless rainfall inundated the environment since Friday evening, and the earth couldn't absorb it any longer. Over 129 liters of rainfall swamped Bad Wöritshofen west of Munich during the inclement weather. This surpasses the average quota of 101 liters for an entire month. The devastation is undeterred - fire departments and other emergency services have been working around the clock, extracting water, isolating at-risk areas, and saving humans. There were several traffic accidents as a result of aquaplaning. The German Meteorological Service (DWD) issued no warning on Sunday evening and projected more rainfall ahead. Multiple cities declared a state of disaster on Sunday night, such as Landkreis Straubing-Bogen.
Further escalation along the Danube is predicted
In Bavaria, officials have conveyed that more than 3,000 residents have been forced from their houses due to flooding. The conditions within the Pfaffenhofen area and along the Danube worsened on Sunday. One fire department officer warned of a challenging, unprecedented flood, "which we've never before documented." Organizers from the Bavarian Interior Ministry concurred, adding, "Now all damages are being noted to obtain an overview and be prepared to mobilize help promptly."
ADAC Air Rescue Readies Additional Helicopters
The ADAC Air Rescue is also mobilizing for possible worsening conditions along the Danube. With ten helicopters available in Bavaria, four carrying winches, one supplementary rescue helicopter with a winch flew from Klinikum Augsburg on Sunday, aiding six people in the early hours of rescue. The ADAC expects operations for the flood response to continue throughout the week.
During the weekend, parts of several districts experienced power outages. "The power outages are happening near rivers and aren't causing major issues for the power grid," Economics Minister Hubert Aiwanger (Free Voters) stated. "The network operators responsible for distribution are attempting to maintain the power supply by switching over to other lines. At this time, we do not anticipate widespread blackouts." Several areas had their power shut off as a precaution. Unfortunately, some people were unable to stay connected because their mobile phone batteries ran out.
