09:05: The State Fire Brigade Association declares that the current flood operation is unprecedented.
The firefighters in Bavaria are more in demand than ever due to the floods, according to the Bavarian Firefighters' Association. "This is unprecedented in this way and to this extent," says association head Johann Eitzenberger to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. "We have 30,000 volunteer firefighters on duty each day and are trying to prevent and minimize damage where possible." In Bavaria, thousands of rescuers from various organizations have been fighting against a severe flood since the weekend. The situation is currently under control, but who knows what else might happen, Eitzenberger says. "There will still be a need for specialized skills, such as dealing with oil from heating tanks." However, the emergency services are reaching their limits. "We have a good system of relief that covers Bavaria's 7,500 fire departments and over 300,000 volunteer firefighters. This may become more apparent this week than on the weekend," says Eitzenberger.
08:45 Mayor of Regensburg warns against flood tourism: Don't look, see how it isRegensburg's mayor, Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer, warns against flood tourism. "We already have a lot of tourists, but now the locals are also moving. Please don't go and see how it looks," she says on Bayerischer Rundfunk. Above all, visitors should not go on the bridges, as responders may be on their way there. In the fourth largest city in Bavaria, located on the Danube, the situation was tense at night, according to the mayor. The high groundwater and the unstable ground underneath pose a threat to evacuations. The flood peak was reached at night, Maltz-Schwarzfischer hopes the water levels will drop during the day. Whether the dams and protective measures will hold is difficult to predict, says the mayor. "We have a different situation than, for example, in 2013, because we have very high groundwater levels and therefore the ground becomes so unstable. And the pressure on the dams with a fluctuating ground is already critical."
08:25 Passau worried - "Danube water level already at 9.54 meters"The situation in Lower Bavaria's Passau is developing particularly dramatically. The city was expected to reach the flood peak with a water level of 9.50 meters in the afternoon, but it has already gone beyond this mark, as reported by ntv reporter Felix Balß.
07:48 Unique deployment for firefighters in BavariaThe firefighters in Bavaria are needed more than ever due to the floods, according to the Bavarian Firefighters' Association. "This is indeed unique in this way and to this extent," says association head Johann Eitzenberger to the Süddeutsche Zeitung. "We have 30,000 volunteer firefighters on duty every day and are trying to prevent and minimize damage wherever possible." The situation is currently under control, but we never know what else might happen, Eitzenberger says. "There will still be a need for specialized skills, like dealing with oil from heating tanks." However, the emergency services are reaching their limits. "We have a good system of relief that covers all of Bavaria's 7,500 fire departments and over 300,000 volunteer firefighters—that may become more noticeable this week than on the weekend," says Eitzenberger.
07:28 Danube dikes and protective walls in danger of collapsingThe Danube is pressing heavily on dikes and additional protective walls in southern Germany. Some dikes are now at risk of collapsing and breaking. The inner city of Passau is already under water and closed off.
06:55 Castle ruins slide - residents evacuatedThe Falkenstein Castle in the Upper Bavarian town of Flintsbach slid due to persistent rain. The district of Rosenheim reports that 50 residents had to be evacuated. The castle ruins near the A8 motorway on the border with Austria are a popular hiking destination. The main castle Falkenstein was built around 1300, and the outer castle was built in the 15th and 16th centuries. After an extensive expansion phase in the 16th and 17th centuries, the complex was destroyed by fires at the end of the 18th century. It is part of the Petersberg monument complex with the Roman St. Peter's Church and the adjacent Mesner House. The extent of the damage to the ruins is unknown.
06:22 Search for missing firefighter will not continueA missing firefighter in the Swabian floods will no longer be actively searched for. It is likely that the 22-year-old drowned, says a police spokesman. He will probably be found when the water recedes. The young man was on his way to Offingen near the border with Baden-Württemberg with a boat from the DLRG lifeguard in the night from Sunday to Monday. The boat with five rescue crew members was capsized in strong currents. Four rescue crew members aged between 24 and 70 were able to reach land and remained unharmed.
06:03 Stations measure "century-scale rainfall".
Various areas in southern Germany have experienced an unusually high amount of rain in the past few days, as meteorologist Thomas Deutschländer of the German Weather Service explains. This is quite extraordinary, but not completely unprecedented, he adds, noting that there may still be some discrepancies in the data.
05:33 The Danube in Passau surpasses the 9-meter mark
The water level of the Danube River in Passau has surpassed the 9-meter mark during the night from Monday to Tuesday. flood warning service (HND) provides this update, indicating that the water at 3 a.m. read 9.27 meters. On Monday evening, the gauge reading was 8.83 meters. The HND predicts that the highest point will be reached at noon on Tuesday, with a reading of 9.50 meters. Passau's Old Town was mostly closed to traffic on Monday due to the flooding. When the water level reached 8.50 meters, beaches began flooding to a larger extent. This level was attained in Passau on Monday afternoon.
04:07 Regensburg city center requires evacuation
Due to the worsening flood situation, 200 residents have been ordered to leave their homes in the Regensburg city center. The Bavarian city states on its website that the underground of Werftstraße is becoming increasingly swollen due to the high groundwater level, making it potentially hazardous for the flood protection barriers to hold. For this reason, the disaster control has decided to evacuate the entire street's residents.
02:47 Flood situation in the southern Rosenheim district shows signs of improvement
The flood situation in the Rosenheim district of southern Germany has shown some signs of improvement. The district reported this news. Consequently, the schools and kindergartens in the affected areas are expected to be closed on Tuesday. Raubling and Rohrdorf communities have undergone evacuations, the details of which are still undisclosed. The district had previously declared a disaster. Over 1000 emergency services personnel from the fire department and the Technical Relief Organization are on site, the district adds. According to a message from the German Meteorological Service, the rainfall in Bavaria should subside overnight.
00:12 The flood situation in the southern states is easing
In the wake of the recent flooding in the southwest, water levels in most rivers and streams are falling again. The flood forecasting center reports that only the Danube and Rhine rivers are experiencing rising water levels. However, there are no more critical values expected that would be exceeded, says a spokesperson. At the Danube from the Pegel Hundersingen in the Sigmaringen district downstream, as well as at Lake Constance, Upper and Upper Rhine, the water is currently still rising. At the Pegel Maxau near Karlsruhe, a peak value of 8.29 meters from Sunday is predicted to be surpassed once more, but probably not. At the Neckar, the trend is falling.
22:53 Rosenheim district: Stay at home for safety reasons
The Rosenheim district in Upper Bavaria has requested residents to remain indoors due to the flooding. The authority states, "There is an imminent risk to life and limb," and advises against staying outside, venturing near bodies of water, and interfering with rescue service operations. On Tuesday, schools are set to be closed in a string of communities: Brannenburg, Raubling, Rohrdorf, Oberaudorf, Kiefersfelden, Nußdorf, Neubeuern, Bad Feilnbach, and Flintsbach. The State Education Authority Rosenheim will notify the affected schools. Kindergartens in these regions are also anticipated to close.
21:47 Burg Falkenstein partly collapsed in Flintsbach, Rosenheim district
Portions of Burg Falkenstein in Flintsbach, Rosenheim district, have succumbed to the heavy rain. The Rosenheim district administration confirms this news. Below the castle, 50 residents will need to be evacuated.
21:08 Germany's largest campsite must be evacuated
The Wesel campsite in North Rhine-Westphalia needs to be cleared within the next 24 hours due to the flood scenario. The operators of the Grav Island, the largest campsite in Germany with 5000 permanent campers, provide this info. The release of water levels in surrounding rivers and waterways caused the decision.
7:53pm: Werftstraße in Regensburg to be evacuated
The city of Regensburg has announced that the Werftstraße will be evacuated. This street, situated along the Danube, is experiencing an increasingly weakened soil structure due to the high groundwater level. The city's flood protection equipment could potentially fail, causing the street to be flooded. Around 200 individuals are expected to be evacuated starting at 9pm.
For more details, refer to our previous updates. [link to earlier developments]
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The State Fire Brigade Association is closely monitoring the extent of the floods across the state, and they believe that a live ticker would be useful to keep the public informed about the situation. Due to the unprecedented nature and scale of the floods, the Fire Brigade Association is deploying flood deployment teams from various parts of the country, including international units, to assist in the relief efforts. The association is working tirelessly to prevent and minimize damage, but they warn that the emergency services are reaching their limits, and there may still be a need for specialized skills, such as dealing with oil from heating tanks.
