11:48 Significant improvement in flood situation in Bavaria
The flood situation in Bavaria is still worrying, with high water levels occurring. No more forecasts for heavy rainfall have been made, and the focus is currently on the Danube. The situation is improving, as Danube tributary water levels are dropping considerably. In Ingolstadt, the peak of the flood is projected to reach just below the highest alert level 4 in the evening. In Kelheim, increases within alert level 4 are expected, similar to the flood in 2005. Meanwhile, in Passau, it's believed that the Danube water level will be under the 2002 flood mark. By Wednesday, there will still be high water levels in the Danube stretch from Kelheim to Passau.
Police report 5 flood-related deaths in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The latest victim was a woman who slid off the road into the water in Markt Rettenbach on Monday. Her car was surrounded by water moments after and she accidentally called for rescue. She was later found dead. This unfortunate incident is seen as a tragic accident. Initial reports mentioned 4 flood-related fatalities.
Autobahn 9 is now fully open after a dam break in Upper Bavaria. The road blockage in the direction of Munich was removed this morning. Only 300 vehicles were allowed on the section initially, while the road kept getting blocked afterwards. Other impacted roads like B16 remain closed due to flooding.
Staying with the Rhine, shipping has suspended operations on the Middle and Upper Rhine due to flooding. Parts of both stretches are currently impassable. Ships are docked or waiting in ports for water levels to return to normal. It's anticipated to take several days for shipping to completely halt. The aim is to prevent damage to the banks as the vessels create waves that can damage banks and flood basements.
Train services in South Germany are still being affected by disruptions. Four lines are being impacted - Stuttgart-Ulm-Augsburg-Munich, Donauwörth-Augsburg, Munich-Memmingen-Lindau, and Ulm-Memmingen-Kempten. Munich remains inaccessible from the west and north. The remaining lines have individual disruptions and delays. Affected lines include Munich-Nuremberg-Erfurt-Berlin, Karlsruhe-Stuttgart-Ulm, Augsburg-Munich, Stuttgart-Mannheim-Frankfurt(M), Munich-Lindau-Bregenz-Zurich, Karlsruhe-Stuttgart-Crailsheim-Nuremberg, Augsburg-Kempten(Allgäu)-Oberstdorf, and Nuremberg-Würzburg. Bahn advises against travel to South Germany.
Search for a missing firefighter continues with the help of drones and helicopters. The firefighter was swept away in the preceding floodwaters in Landsberg am Lech. Efforts have failed to find him so far.
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partially closed Autobahn 9 is now open
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search for missing firefighter with drones and helicopters
Authorities in Swabia are still looking for a missing firefighter, but not in the floodwaters themselves. Police Spokesman Holger Stabik stated that the current flow is too large for emergency services to search from the water. The search is being carried out from land and in the air, with drones and a helicopter being utilized. The firefighter, who is 22 years old, is believed to have drowned. If this is the case, he would be the fifth known victim of the floods in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg.
In an earlier report, police had previously announced that they were suspending the search. The missing firefighter had been in a boat with five emergency personnel for the DLRG water rescue service in Offingen near the border with Baden-Württemberg the night before Sunday. The boat capsized in strong currents. While four emergency personnel, aged between 24 and 70, were able to escape unharmed, the 22-year-old was missing.
At 9:38 am, police corrected their initial report and confirmed that the search for the missing firefighter was still ongoing. The firefighter had been in Offingen for a nighttime rescue operation with a boat from the DLRG rescue service. During this operation, the boat capsized in the strong current. Four crew members, aged between 24 and 70, were able to escape unharmed, while the 22-year-old was missing.
At 8:45 am, Regensburg Mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer advised against visiting the flooded area as a tourist. She urged people not to observe the flooding and instead requested that people stay away from the bridges, as emergency personnel could be in the area. The situation in Regensburg was tense overnight, with high groundwater and unstable subsoil hampering evacuation efforts. The high water mark had been reached overnight, and Maltz-Schwarzfischer expressed hope that water levels would drop during the day. However, the mayor also stated that the stability of the dams and protective structures was uncertain, emphasizing that the city was in a different situation than in 2013 due to higher groundwater levels and unstable subsoil.
At 8:25 am, the city of Passau was preparing for a flood peak with a water level of 9.50 meters in the afternoon. However, ntv reporter Felix Balß reported that this level had already been exceeded.
Bavarian Fire Brigade Association Chairman Johann Eitzenberger told the Süddeutsche Zeitung that this deployment was unprecedented, with 30,000 volunteer firefighters working to prevent and minimize damage. The situation was relatively stable but could change at any time, and additional skills would be required for oil removal from heating tanks. Damages to dikes and protective walls as a result of the excessive water masses in the Danube were a major concern, threatening to break through.
By 7:48 am, video footage revealed that the Danube was increasingly pressing against dikes and additional protective walls in southern Germany. While some dikes were already at risk of breaking, the town of Passau was partially underwater and closed off.
At 7:28 am, Rosenheim district officials stated that parts of Falkenstein Castle in Upper Bavaria had slid down due to continuous rain. About 50 residents below the castle were evacuated to safety. Falkenstein Castle, a popular hiking destination located near the Austrian border, was built in the 1300s and underwent significant expansion in the 16th and 17th centuries. After sustaining damage from fires and being turned into a ruin, it is now part of the Petersberg monument complex with the Roman Peterskirche and the adjacent Mesner House. The extent of the damage to the castle's ruins is unknown.
At 6:55 am, authorities warned of the potential for dam and protective wall failure due to the immense water masses in the Danube. The Passau old town was already submerged and closed, with parts of Falkenstein Castle sliding downhill. The city is preparing for the situation to worsen as water levels continue to rise, with about 50 residents below the castle being evacuated.
Note: The search for the missing firefighter is ongoing (check the post at 09:38am).
6:03: Some areas in South Germany experience a "century-rainfall"
A meteorologist from the German Weather Service, Thomas Deutschländer, shared that specific areas in South Germany have received as much rainfall in recent days as happens only every 50-100 years. It's not an unheard-of event, he said. "But it's special." Deutschländer emphasized that the data is still preliminary, there might be missing stations or underreported measurements. "There will be more than it currently shows."
5:33: The Danube in Passau surpasses 9-meter mark
The Danube river in Passau has surpassed the 9-meter mark during the night of Tuesday to Wednesday. As per high-water notification service (HND), the water level was measured at 9.27 meters at 3am on Wednesday. It was 8.83 meters the previous evening. According to the HND prediction, the peak level would be reached at noon on Tuesday, at 9.50 meters. Passau's old town was closed to car traffic on Monday due to the high water. If the water level reaches 8.50 meters, beaches will get flooded in larger areas. Passau saw this level on Monday afternoon.
4:07: Evacuation of 200 people in Regensburg
Due to the worsening flood situation in Regensburg city center, 200 people have been asked to leave their homes. The rescue services have decided to evacuate residents living along Werftstraße due to the rising groundwater pressure. The flooding risks to "no longer be held by the flood protection elements."
2:47: Easing flood situation in Rosenheim district
The flood situation in the south of Rosenheim district has slightly improved. The district shared this news. Schools and kindergartens in the affected areas are expected to stay closed on Tuesday. Evacuations have taken place in Raubling and Rohrdorf, though it's not clear how many people were affected. The declaration of disaster still holds. The district has deployed over 1000 personnel from the fire department and Technical Relief Organizations. The German Weather Service is predicting the rainfall in Bavaria to decrease overnight on Tuesday.
1:28: German Weather Service cancels all weather warnings
Despite the ongoing flood situation in Southern Germany, the German Weather Service (DWD) has canceled all the weather warnings for Germany. Multiple villages have been submerged, even after dam breaches. At least four people have passed away in these floods. Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg still have tense situations, as of Monday.
12:12: Receding water levels in southwest areas
The water levels in many rivers and streams in the southwest of Germany are dropping. However, the larger rivers like the Danube and Rhine still have some rising water levels in certain areas. A spokeswoman from the Flood Forecasting Center stated there are no more critical values that would be exceeded. The Danube from the Pegel Hundersingen in the district of Sigmaringen downstream, as well as Lake Constance, the Upper and Upper Rhine, have water rising. At Pegel Maxau near Karlsruhe, the peak value of 8.29 meters on Sunday isn't likely to be surpassed again. At the Neckar, the trend is going down.
21:53: Rosenheim district urges residents to stay indoors
The Rosenheim district in Upper Bavaria has advised residents to remain indoors as the flood poses a "danger to life and limb." Individuals are recommended to stay away from open water bodies and not to interfere with emergency services during their response efforts. On Tuesday, schools in various communities will be shut down, including Brannenburg, Raubling, Rohrdorf, Oberaudorf, Kiefersfelden, Nussdorf, Neubeuern, Bad Feilnbach, and Flintsbach. The State Education Authority for Rosenheim will notify the affected schools. Kindergartens in these towns are also expected to remain shut.
20:47: Rosenheim district: Burg Falkenstein slips away
Flintsbach in the Rosenheim district has suffered damage as parts of Burg Falkenstein have slipped away. The Rosenheim district administration reported this news. 50 residents in the area below the castle must be evacuated.
20:08: Germany's largest campsite must be vacated
Evacuation has been ordered for the top-largest campsite in Germany.
The Wesel campsite in North Rhine-Westphalia needs to be abandoned within the next 24 hours, as stated by the managers of Grav-Island. This is necessary because the local rivers and water bodies are flooding, causing water levels to rise. The Grav-Island campsite is Germany's largest, housing 5,000 permanent campers.
Regarding another matter, the Werftstraße in Regensburg is being evacuated, according to the city's authorities. This street is situated beside the Danube, and the soil beneath it is turning softer and softer amid the rising groundwater levels. There's a risk that the flood protection facilities installed here could break down, leading to the street getting flooded. Around 200 people will need to leave the area from 21:00.
For more information about these events, check out this link.
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The live ticker on the flood situation in Bavaria continues to show promising improvements, but authorities are still urging caution. According to the latest updates, international aid is being considered to help address the flooding in the area affected by the flood.
Flood waters in Bavaria have caused significant damage, including the slippage of parts of Falkenstein Castle in the Rosenheim district. As the flooding continues, international aid is being considered to support the relief efforts in the affected areas.
