06:55 Castle ruins collapse; residents forced to leave their homes.
Some parts of Falkenstein Castle in the Upper Bavarian town of Flintsbach have slid due to persistent rain. Fifty residents living beneath the castle have been safely evacuated, according to the Rosenheim district. The castle ruin, perched on the border with Austria, is a favorite hiking spot. The main castle, Falkenstein, was constructed around 1300, according to the Chiemsee-Alpenland Tourism Association, while the outer castle was established in the 15th and 16th centuries. After a period of expansion in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was destroyed by fires, resulting in its current state as a ruin. It's a part of the Petersberg monument complex, which also includes the Roman Peterskirche and the adjacent Mesner House. The extent of the damage to the castle remains unknown.
6:22 AM: Rescuers cease active search for missing firefighterThe young firefighter missing in the Swabia flood is no longer being actively sought. It's likely that the 22-year-old drowned and will be found when the water recedes, a police spokesperson reveals. He was helping out on his way to Offingen near the border with Baden-Württemberg with a boat from the regional water rescue team on a boat. The craft, carrying five rescuers, capsized in strong currents. All the other rescuers, each aged between 24 and 70, managed to make it to land unharmed.
6:03 AM: Rainfall in southern Germany has been historically heavyIn various regions of southern Germany, the rainfall seen over the last few days was equivalent to what would occur about once every 50-100 years. "We can refer to this as 'century-rainfalls,'" states meteorologist Thomas Deutschländer of the German Weather Service. "That's a bit different but not absolutely rare." Deutschländer adds that it's all preliminary since not all data have been fully verified. "Some apparatuses could have fared poorly, and some measurements could have been low."
5:33 AM: Danube in Passau rises above nine-meter markThe water level of the Danube in Passau surpassed the nine-meter mark in the early hours of Tuesday. Hochwassernachrichtendienst (HND) reported a depth of 9.27 meters at 3 AM. The previous reading, on Monday night, was 8.83 meters. According to the HND projection, the peak will be reached at midday on Tuesday with a level of 9.50 meters. The old town of Passau, a popular tourist destination, was partially closed to traffic on Monday due to the flooding. At a level of 8.50 meters, beveled areas were flooded more extensively. This level was reached in Passau on Monday afternoon.
4:07 AM: Evacuation orders for 200 people in RegensburgEvacuation notices have been issued for around 200 residents in the central Regensburg district. The reason is because the Werftstrasse's subsoil is increasingly swelling due to the elevated groundwater. This raises the threat that the flood protection measures will no longer be able to hold, the district of Regensburg explains on its website. Consequently, the disaster control has decided to evacuate the entire street's occupants.
2:47 AM: Flood situation in Rosenheim district becomes slightly betterThe flood conditions in the southern Rosenheim district have eased marginally. The district council announced this on Tuesday. As a result, schools and preschools in the affected localities are expected to remain closed on Tuesday. In Raubling and Rohrdorf, evacuations have reportedly taken place. Initially, it was uncertain how many individuals had been affected. Earlier, the district had declared a state of emergency. Approximately 1,000 first responders from the fire department and the Technical Help Organization have been called in, the district adds. A German Weather Service spokeswoman indicates that the rainfall in Bavaria is foreseen to taper off during the night on Tuesday.
1:28 AM: DWD lifts weather warnings in southern GermanyIn the midst of the tense flood situation in southern Germany, the German Weather Service (DWD) has withdrawn all weather warnings for the country. DWD reports this. In recent days, torrential rain had prompted the water levels of numerous streams and rivers, notably in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, to sharply increase. Some villages were flooded even after dams were breached. At least four people have lost their lives in the flooding. The situation in certain parts of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg remained perilous on Monday.
12:12 AM: Water levels declining at most watercourses in the southwestFollowing the floods of the past few days, water levels are falling at most waterways in the southwest. Only at large rivers like the Danube and Rhine do the levels continue to rise. However, there are no imminent, critical values anticipated to be broken, shares a spokeswoman. At a Danube station in Hundersingen in the Sigmaringen district, as well as at Lake Constance, the Upper Rhine, and the Upper Rhine, water is still rising. The peak level of 8.29 meters at the Maxau gauge near Karlsruhe is not anticipated to be surpassed again. The Neckar is witnessing a downward trend.
10:53 PM Rosenheim region: People should remain indoors
The Rosenheim district in Upper Bavaria urges locals to stay inside their homes due to the ongoing flood situation. There's a high risk of injury or even death, the local authority states. They advise against spending time outdoors, staying away from bodies of water, and not hampering rescue operations. On Tuesday, a number of communities will have their schools closed: Brannenburg, Raubling, Rohrdorf, Oberaudorf, Kiefersfelden, Nussdorf, Neubeuern, Bad Feilnbach, and Flintsbach. The Rosenheim district's education authority will notify the schools impacted. Kindergartens in these communities are also expected to stop operations for the day.
9:47 PM Rosenheim: Collapsed sections of Burg Falkenstein calling for evacuation
In Flintsbach, part of Burg Falkenstein has succumbed to the relentless rain, leading to an evacuation order from the Rosenheim district. Approximately 50 people who live below the castle must move out of their homes.
9:08 PM Grav-Island in North Rhine-Westphalia must be cleared within the next 24 hours
Grav-Island, Germany's largest camping site, will have to be vacated due to the current flood conditions. The water levels are rising in all surrounding rivers and waterways, forcing the Grav-Island operators to act. They've ordered a full evacuation within the next 24 hours. The camping site's property is home to 5000 permanent campers.
8:53 PM Softening soil sparks evacuation in Regensburg's Werftstraße
The Regensburg Werftstraße, which runs along the Danube, is being evacuated, the city of Regensburg announces. The soil on the street is progressively softening due to the high groundwater levels. The installed flood protection features are at risk of failing, potentially inundating the street. Around 200 people are supposed to be relocated, beginning at 9 PM sharp.
Keep up with all previous events here. [Link]
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The International community expresses concern over the flooding in Germany and the collapse of Falkenstein Castle ruins, urging aid and support for the affected residents.
During the live ticker coverage of the flood situation, the historical Falkenstein Castle ruins suffering from landslides due to heavy rain are often highlighted.
