08:45 "Avoid gazing at the situation": Regensburg's Mayor urges against flood tourism.
The mayor of Regensburg, Germany, has urged against tourism during the city's current flooding. Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer told Bayerischer Rundfunk, "We've got a lot of tourists, but now the locals are moving too. Please don't come and watch, see how it is." Visitors should avoid crossing bridges where helpers could be present. As the fourth largest city in Bavaria sits on the Danube, Maltz-Schwarzfischer experienced a tense night, dealing with high groundwater levels and an unstable subsoil that could lead to evacuations. She hopes the water level will decrease during the day and that the dams and protective structures will hold, but she admits, "We're in a different situation than we were in 2013 because we have very high groundwater levels, and therefore the subsoil becomes so unstable. And the pressure on the dams with a fluctuating subsoil is already critical."
Updates:- Passau: Flooding situation worsens, now exceeding 9.54 meters.- Bavarian Fire Brigade Association: Steep increase in firefighter demand due to the floods.- Video: Danube dams and protective walls at risk of breaking under intense pressure from water masses.- Castle ruins in Upper Bavaria slide, 50 residents are evacuated.- No longer actively seeking missing firefighter, presumed drowned.- Some weather stations register "century-level rainfall" for South Germany.- Danube in Passau surpasses 9-meter mark.
08:25 Expected later: Passau on edge - "Danube level already at 9.54 meters"The situation in Passau, Bavaria, is becoming increasingly dire. Initially expected to reach a peak at 9.50 meters, the Danube's level is already at 9.54 meters, informed ntv reporter Felix Balß.
07:48 Bavarian Fire Department Association: "Unprecedented" response to floodsThe Bavarian Fire Department Association's chairman, Johann Eitzenberger, says the association has never seen this level of demand before, with 30,000 volunteer firefighters on call daily. "This sort of thing has never happened before," says Eitzenberger to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. "We are trying to prevent and mitigate damage as much as possible." The current situation remains mostly under control, but there's also uncertainty about what's to come. "There will also be a long time when specialized skills are needed, such as in dealing with oil from heating tanks."
07:28 Video: Danube dams and protective walls nearing brinkWater pressure on the Danube's dams and additional protective barriers in southern Germany has reached a critical point. The Passau city center is already under water and closed.
06:55 Castle Ruins Slide - Residents EvacuatedPortions of Burg Falkenstein in Upper Bavaria have slid due to the non-stop rainfall. With 50 residents below the castle, the Rosenheim region has enacted evacuations. The castle ruins near the Autobahn, on the Austria border, are popular with hikers. The main castle was built in 1300, and the outer castle followed in the 15th and 16th centuries. After a comprehensive expansion period in the 16th and 17th centuries, the fortification complex was destroyed by fires at the end of the 18th century. It is part of the Petersberg monument complex, also containing St. Peter's Church and the adjacent Mesner Haus. The magnitude of the ruins' damage remains unknown.
06:22: Rescue Teams no longer searching for missing firefighterA missing firefighter in the Swabia floods will no longer be looked for actively. A police spokesman indicates that the 22-year-old is likely to have drowned. He will likely be discovered when the waters recede. The young man belonged to the DLRG water rescue service crew in Offingen near the Baden-Württemberg border, who were struck by strong currents when their boat overturned. Four rescuers aged between 24 and 70 safely reached land.
06:03: Stations report "century-level rainfall"An estimated 50 to 100 years' worth of rain has fallen in various parts of south Germany in recent days, according to meteorologist Thomas Deutschländer from the German Weather Service. "That's somewhat unusual, but not incredibly so." "We aren't fully certain, as some stations may drop out or have inaccurate measurements," adds Deutschländer. "In general, there's more of a tendency towards higher amounts."
05:33: Danube in Passau surpasses 9-meter thresholdThe water of the Danube in Passau surpassed the 9-meter mark overnight. At 3 a.m., the flood warning service (HND) reports a water level of 9.27 meters. The gauge indicated 8.83 meters on Monday night. HND predicts the peak will be reached at noon on Tuesday, with a level of 9.50 meters. Passau's old town was closed to car traffic due to the flood on Monday. At a water level of 8.50 meters, inhabited areas experience more severe floods. This was achieved in Passau on Monday afternoon.
04:07: 200 residents to be evacuated in Regensburg
Due to the deteriorating flood conditions, 200 residents in the Regensburg city center have been instructed to leave their houses. The local government's statement on their official website indicates that the escalating groundwater level in Werftstraße jeopardizes the existing flood protection barriers. As a result, rescue services made the decision to fully evacuate the area.
At 02:47, the Rosenheim district acknowledges slight improvement in the flood situation. In a statement, the district reveals that schools and daycare centers will most likely remain closed on Tuesday. Raubling and Rohrdorf are among the affected communities where evacuations occurred. It is yet unknown how many people are involved. Initially, the district had declared a disaster. Approximately 1000 personnel from the fire department and the Technical Relief Organization were present on site, as per the district's report. The German Weather Service's update states that the rainfall in Bavaria is expected to lessen during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday.
The German Meteorological Service (DWD) has rescinded all weather warnings for Germany, they reveal. Heavy rains in the previous days caused numerous streams and rivers, more notably in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, to reach considerable levels. Several towns were inundated, even after dams had collapsed. At least 4 people have lost their lives in the floods thus far. The situation in both Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg remained tense on Monday.
By 00:12, the water levels at most bodies of water are reverting to normal. However, the major rivers like the Danube and Rhine continue to have rising water level readings. According to a spokesperson, critical values are not anticipated to be broken again. The spokesperson further adds that the Danube from the Hundersingen gauge in the district of Sigmaringen downstream, Lake Constance, and both the Upper and High Rhine are currently still rising. The Neckar, on the other hand, is showing a downward trend.
The Rosenheim district is urging citizens to stay indoors amidst the flood. "There is a high risk to life and limb," says the authority's statement. People are advised to avoid being outdoors and to not impede rescue services. On Tuesday, classes will be cancelled in several areas: Brannenburg, Raubling, Rohrdorf, Oberaudorf, Kiefersfelden, Nussdorf, Neubeuern, Bad Feilnbach, and Flintsbach. The State Education Authority Rosenheim will notify the affected schools. The kindergartens in the affected regions will also stay closed.
In Flintsbach, found in the Rosenheim district, parts of Burg Falkenstein have slid due to the torrential rainfall. The Landratsamt Rosenheim has announced this. Beneath the castle, around 50 residents need to be relocated.
The Wesel camping site in North Rhine-Westphalia will have to be cleared within the next 24 hours due to the flood scenario. The Grav-Island operators report this. The skyrocketing water levels in the nearby rivers and bodies of water compelled them to make this decision. The Grav-Island holds the title of the largest camping site in Germany with 5,000 permanent campers.
The Regensburg Werftstraße is being evacuated, as the Regensburg city confirms. Located next to the Danube, the Werftstraße is encountering issues as the groundwater levels reach risky heights. The installed flood barriers might fail, causing the street to flood. Approximately 200 people need to vacate the area from 21:00.
Previous developments can be found here.
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The International Red Cross has expressed concern over the situation in Regensburg, urging for humanitarian aid to be directed towards affected locals. Despite the urgent call, many tourists continue to flock to the city, sparking a live ticker discussion about responsible flood tourism. Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer's appeal against flood tourism has not seemed to deter visitors, as witnessed by the overcrowded streets and bridges in Regensburg. During the mayor's press conference, she emphasized the need for tourists to stay away for their safety as well as to ensure helpers can effectively assist the local community. This international development in Regensburg has placed Lord Mayor Maltz-Schwarzfischer in the eye of a public relations storm, as she navigates the delicate balance between the city's recovery and growing tourism interests.
