13:13 Woman Swims in High Water Wearing Swimsuit
A woman braved the flooded underpass in Deggendorf, a town in Lower Bavaria, for a swim. She created quite a stir for the fire department, who saw her dressed in a swimsuit during an inspection. After being called out of the water, the city spokeswoman shared the incident on Tuesday. The fire department chief, Tim Rothenwoehler, expressed concern about people ignoring barriers during floods. He hasn't experienced anything like it before. The city is urging citizens to obey the swimming ban in flooded areas, asking for patience as the swimming season will commence on Thursday.
13:00 German insurers could face significant losses from Bavarian and Baden-Württemberg floods:
Insurance companies in Germany are likely to incur substantial losses due to the floods in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Jörg Asmussen, managing director of the German Insurance Association (GDV), said that devastation from the floods in these regions suggests considerable damage. His organization has already received numerous reports of the damage. However, it's not possible to estimate the losses accurately until the water levels have subsided. Insured houses in Bavaria make up 47% of the total, while in Baden-Württemberg, it's 94%. Compulsory flood insurance was phased out in 1994. Asmussen opposes new political demands for mandatory flood insurance, pointing out that it was not a market-driven solution and that premiums did not accurately reflect the actual risk. Instead, he emphasizes the importance of flood defense and prevention measures like building bans in dangerous areas and better dams to break the cycle of increasing damages and rising premiums.
12:42 Bavarian government allots a minimum of 100 million euros "plus X" for flood relief:
In response to the nationwide flood disaster, the Bavarian state government plans to provide 100 million euros "plus X" in aid to those affected. The premier, Markus Söder, confirmed this after the cabinet's decision in Munich. The relief package will cater to both private households and commercial entities, self-employed individuals, and farmers. He assured a prompt and bureaucracy-free distribution of funds. However, he also requested the federal government to deliver on its promises and aid the flood victims. Per Asmussen's announcement, households could receive up to 5,000 euros in emergency aid, while insured residential buildings would qualify for up to 10,000 euros. Businesses and companies can claim emergency aid between 5,000 and 200,000 euros, but the amounts will be reduced if they're insured.
12:23 Passau's Danube water level nears the ten-meter mark:
The flooding in Passau is almost at its peak, with a water level of 9.95 meters recorded at noon. The previous forecast predicted a lower level of 9.50 meters. With a water level of 8.50 meters, flood-prone areas will be inundated. Passau reached this level in the afternoon.
12:06 Weather reports predict sporadic rain in southern Germany but not of significant magnitude:
The rains in southern Germany have diminished gradually, and the forecast by the German Weather Service (DWD) indicates that it will stay relatively dry in flood-affected areas. Robert Hausen, a meteorologist at DWD's Offenbach office, stated they could no longer issue a warning for southern Germany. Despite intermittent showers and thunderstorms, they wouldn't cause any significant harm. The Weather Service provides a nationwide forecast until Thursday that indicates mild temperatures below 20 degrees in the north and northwest. The rest of the country is expected to be warmer, with temperatures ranging from 21 to 26 degrees. Nighttime temperatures might fall below ten degrees. However, the rainfall rate is predicted to rise again by the weekend, especially in the south, where minor rains and thunderstorms are anticipated - nothing as severe as in the past few days. Hausen expressed hope that the water levels would have normalized by then.
The flood scenario in Bavaria is still intense due to the high water levels, as per the official flood alert service. Fortunately, no more forecasts of heavy rains are expected, and some water levels are projected to decrease significantly. The main focus is on the Danube. The condition on the Danube is also said to be improving, as the water levels from the Danube tributaries are currently decreasing significantly. In Ingolstadt, the peak of the flood is anticipated to reach the highest alarm level four during evening time. In Kelheim, there have been minor rises within the alert level four around a previous flood from August 2005. In Passau, it is foreseen that the water level of the Danube will be beneath the 2002 flood mark. Until Wednesday, high water levels will continue in the Danube stretch from Kelheim to Passau.
11:20: Police report a fifth fatality associated with floods
The casualties due to floods in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg has increased to five, according to the police. A woman from Markt Rettenbach, Bavaria, skidded her car off the road into the water on Monday and was found dead later on. A doctor confirmed her passing. The woman was traveling on a flooded state road in Markt Rettenbach, ignoring a warning. She lost control of her car, slid off the road at a flooded stretch, and ended up in a meadow with water that was too high to prevent her car from sinking immediately. The woman had informed the emergency services that her vehicle was filled with water. When a water management official discovered the car, it was already "almost completely" submerged, as per the police. The investigators believe this to be a "tragic incident". Thus far, authorities had declared four deaths due to the floods.
11:03: Autobahn 9 reopens in both directions following dam breach
The partially closed Autobahn 9 due to a dam break in upper Bavaria is now accessible in both directions without any restrictions. The road blockage instituted on Monday in the direction of Munich has been lifted by morning, as reported by the police. The section between Ingolstadt-South and Langenbruck can now be driven on freely. In the process of setting up the roadblock, only 300 vehicles were initially allowed on the section, then the road was closed periodically. Other roads in the vicinity, such as the B16 between Manching and Ernsgaden, are still closed due to flooding.
10:40: Shipping halted on the Middle and Upper Rhine due to flooding
Because of heavy rainfall, Germany's main waterway, the Rhine, is currently inaccessible in several areas. "Shipping has ceased on the Middle and Upper Rhine," says a spokesperson for the Waterways and Shipping Administration Rhine (WSA) to the news agency Reuters. At the onset of the week, only the Upper Rhine was closed in locations like Maxau, Mannheim, and Worms, but now parts of the Middle Rhine are impacted as well. "Many ships have already docked or are in the ports," says the spokesperson. "They are now waiting for the water levels to drop again." The peak could still be reached later in the day or during the evening. The region around Bingen might be navigable again by Thursday. "It's about several days during which shipping is at a halt." With the closures, the banks can be guarded from potential damage. The ships generate waves that may cause the banks to overflow and flood cellars, for example.
10:20: Additional train disruptions on numerous routes in South Germany
Due to the flooding situation in specific areas of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, the German Railways (DB) are still unable to operate on some lines for both regional and long-distance travel. There are further disruptions on four lines, the DB reports. Affected are the stretch between Stuttgart-Ulm-Augsburg-Munich on the Stuttgart-Ulm-Augsburg-Munich line, the segment between Donauwörth and Augsburg on the Nuremberg-Donauwörth-Augsburg-Munich line, the segment between Buchloe and Memmingen on the Munich-Memmingen-Lindau line, and the entire Ulm-Memmingen-Kempten line. In essence, Munich cannot be reached from the west and north. However, the DB continues to dissuade train travel to South Germany. The following lines experience disruptions and delays: 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.
Search for a Missing Firefighter in Swabia Continues, Not in the Floodwaters
The police investigation into a missing firefighter in Swabia, Germany continues, but they're not searching in the dangerous floodwaters. Spokesperson Holger Stabik said that the current stream is too large and risky for rescue teams, so the search will take place from land and in the air instead. Drones and a helicopter will be utilized for this. It is feared that the 22-year-old may have drowned. If this is true, he would be the fifth known victim of the floods in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, as reported earlier.
10:21 Police retract previous announcement: Search for missing firefighter continues
The search for a missing firefighter in the flooded region of Swabia is still ongoing. Police had earlier announced suspension of the search, according to a previous entry at 06:22 am. The firefighter, aged 22 years, was believed to have drowned. He was out with a boat from the DLRG water rescue in Offingen, near the border with Baden-Württemberg, in the night from Sunday to Monday. However, four other rescue personnel were able to reach land safely and remain unharmed.
09:15: Mayor of flooded city advises against water tourism
The current situation in Regensburg, the fourth largest city in Bavaria, is relatively tense. The local mayor Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer has warned against water tourism: "We already have a lot of tourists, but now the locals are also on the move. Please don't go and look - see how it is," she said in an interview with Bavarian Radio. She also advised against visitors going onto jetties as there might be rescue personnel there.
08:05: Regensburg's mayor updates situation; Tense night with watermarks reached
Regensburg's mayor informed that the situation in the city had been tense during the night. The high groundwater levels put the evacuations at risk due to the unstable subsoil, and the high water mark had been reached overnight. The mayor expressed her hope that the water levels would drop during the day and revealed that it's difficult to predict if the dams and protective structures can hold with the fluctuating subsoil. "We are in a different situation than in 2013, because we have very high groundwater levels and the subsoil becomes so unstable. And the pressure on the dams with a fluctuating subsoil is already critical," she added.
07:22: Passau in danger; Record high water level reached
Passau, Bavaria, is in danger as the Danube river is reaching dangerously high water levels. The city was expecting the flood peak with a gauge of 9.50 meters in the afternoon, but it has already exceeded that level, ntv reporter Felix Balß confirmed.
06:33: Unprecedented deployment for Bavarian Fire Department Association
The Bavarian Fire Brigade Association has revealed that the current flood situation requires an unprecedented level of deployment. "In this way and to this extent, it is indeed unique," said association chairman Johann Eitzenberger to Süddeutsche Zeitung. He stated that there are 30,000 volunteer firefighters at work, trying their best to prevent and minimize damage wherever possible. The situation is currently stable, but Eitzenberger warned that there may still be a need for specialized skills, such as handling oil spills from heating tanks.
06:00: Donau dikes and protective walls at risk of breaking
The dangerous Danube river is pushing against dikes and protective walls in southern Germany, putting them at risk of breaking through. The Passau city center is already underwater and closed.
05:45: Parts of Falkenstein Castle sliding off
Falkenstein Castle, a popular tourist destination near the Upper Bavarian Flintsbach, is sliding off due to the continuous rain. Approximately 50 residents below the castle have been evacuated, as per the Rosenheim district's report. The castle was built around 1300, with the outer castle being constructed in the 15th and 16th centuries. After a major expansion in the 16th and 17th centuries, it was largely destroyed in the late 18th century by fires. The extent of the damage to the castle is unknown.
A lost firefighter in the floods of Swabia will no longer be actively sought after. It is most likely that the 22-year-old perished, mentions a police spokesperson. The young man was heading to Offingen beside the border with Baden-Württemberg with a boat from the DLRG water rescue during the night from Sunday to Monday. The boat with 5 rescue members was tipped over in strong currents. Four of the rescue team members aged 24-70 managed to reach land unscathed.
Note: The police eventually declared that the search for the missing firefighter would continue (see 09:38 a.m. update).
06:03: In various areas of South Germany, as much rain has been recorded in the past few days as only every 50 to 100 years. We can refer to these as century-rainfalls, says meteorologist Thomas Deutschländer from the German Meteorological Service. "This is unique, but not unpleasantly surprising." "We're still checking the data," says Deutschländer. Sometimes monitoring stations are missing or the readings may be inaccurate. "In general, more rain will follow, the present readings are conservative."
05:33: The Danube in Passau has breached the nine-meter mark. At 3 a.m., the Hochwassernachrichtendienst (HND) reports a water level of 9.27 meters. On Monday evening, the gauge reading was still 8.83 meters. The HND anticipates that the high point will be attained at noon on Tuesday at 9.50 meters. The Passau old town was shut down on Monday due to the flood for the most part. From a water level of 8.50 meters, areas inhabited by beavers will be inundated to a greater extent. This level was reached in Passau on Monday afternoon.
04:07: In Regensburg, the flood situation has worsened, and 200 residents living in the city center are being ordered to vacate their houses. "Due to the increasing groundwater pressure in the Werftstraße, there is an imminent threat that the flood defenses will no longer be sufficient," reports the Bavarian city on its online platform. Consequently, the rescue squad concluded that all residents of the entire street must evacuate.
02:47: The flood situation in the southern district of Rosenheim appears to be slightly improving. However, the district reports that schools and kindergartens in the affected communities will remain shut on Tuesday. Raubling and Rohrdorf reportedly experienced evacuations, though it's unclear how many inhabitants were affected. Initially, the Rosenheim district had declared a state of emergency. Nearly 1000 first responders from the fire department and the Technical Aid Organization were present at the site. According to a statement from the German Meteorological Service, Bavarian and Baden-Württemberg rainfall is expected to reduce overnight on Tuesday.
01:28: The German Meteorological Service has lifted all weather alerts for Germany. The DWD stated this. Due to heavy rainfall over the last few days, the water levels of a multitude of streams and rivers, primarily in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, have significantly increased. Entire villages have been flooded even after dams have been breached. At least four individuals have been reported dead as a result of the floods. The situation in parts of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg remains tense on Monday.
00:12: After the floods of the previous days, water levels are declining in most water bodies in the southwest. However, the large rivers like the Danube and Rhine are still observing rising water levels, according to the flood prediction center. They don't expect any critical values to be surpassed that would result in a hazardous situation. At the Danube from the Sigmaringen dam in the district of Sigmaringen downstream, as well as Lake Constance, the Upper and Upper Rhine, the water is presently on the rise. At the Maxau dam near Karlsruhe, the peak value of 8.29 meters on Sunday is not expected to be surpassed again. The Neckar is decreasing.
22:53: The Rosenheim district in Upper Bavaria advises locals to remain indoors due to the floods. "There is a serious risk to your safety," says a statement released by the agency. Residents are urged to keep away from open bodies of water and not to hinder emergency responders in their work. Instruction will be discontinued in a series of communities on Tuesday: Brannenburg, Raubling, Rohrdorf, Oberaudorf, Nussdorf, Neubeuern, Bad Feilnbach, and Flintsbach. The State Education Authority Rosenheim will notify the impacted schools. The kindergartens in these towns should remain closed as well.
In Flintsbach, located in the Rosenheim district, parts of Burg Falkenstein have crumbled due to the heavy rain. The Landratsamt Rosenheim reported this unfortunate event. As a result, approximately 50 people living below the castle must leave their homes temporarily.
At 21:08 in Germany, the decision was made to empty out the Grav-Island, a popular camping spot in Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia. The cause? The increasing water levels in nearby rivers and lakes. According to the operators of the Grav-Island, this necessary evacuation is imminent within the next day. It's worth mentioning that Grav-Island is the largest camping site in the entire country, with a staggering number of 5,000 permanent campers.
Over in Regensburg, officials have announced that Werftstraße, a street directly alongside the Danube, will be evacuated. As the groundwater levels continue to rise, the soil of the street is becoming softer. The existing flood protection measures might not withstand the water pressure, and the street could potentially become flooded. Consequently, around 200 residents are being urged to evacuate the area, starting at 9:00 PM.
To browse through earlier developments, look here.
