9:38 AM: Continued search for missing firefighter as authorities rectify previous statement.
Following a firefighter who vanished during the flood in Swabia, the search remains ongoing. The police have rectified their previous statement about the search (view the update at 6:22 a.m.). It's possible that the 22-year-old accidentally drowned, mentioned a police spokesperson earlier. The young man was on his way with a boat from the DLRG water rescue in Offingen near the border with Baden-Württemberg at night. The vessel with five rescue teams was overturned by strong currents. Four rescue crews ranging from 24 to 70 years old were able to reach safety without injury.
08:45 "Stay away, there's no need to observe": Regensburg's mayor warns against flood tourismMayor of the flooded city of Regensburg, Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer, issues a caution against flood tourism. "We've had a lot of tourists, and now even locals are leaving their homes. Please refrain from looking and causing disturbances." Adding, Maltz-Schwarzfischer on Bavarian Radio primarily requested visitors to avoid the jetties, as personnel might be using them. In the Bavarian city nestled alongside the Danube, the atmosphere was stressful during the night owing to the high groundwater levels and unstable subsurface, providing a challenge for evacuations. The high water level was reached at night, and she expressed hope that water levels would decrease on Tuesday. Doubts persist about the capability of the dams and protective structures to withstand the strain.
08:25 Anticipated for the afternoon: Passau on high alert - "Danube level already at 9.54 meters"The circumstances in Passau, Lower Bavaria, are escalating progressively. It had been predicted that the city would encounter the flood peak at approximately 9.50 meters in the afternoon, now surpassing this level as relayed by ntv reporter Felix Balß.
07:48 Bavarian Fire Brigade Association: Unprecedented deploymentIn light of the flood, the fire brigades in Bavaria are striving for a scale never witnessed before, states the Bavarian Fire Brigade Association chairman, Johann Eitzenberger, to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung". "It's truly special in terms of the magnitude and the extent of the situation." "We have 30,000 firefighters on duty every day, attempting to avert and minimize damage wherever possible." The situation is currently partially in control, Eitzenberger continued, although the potential for additional challenges persists. "Further skills will be required, such as handling oil from heating tanks."
07:28 Video: Danube dikes and protective walls facing pressureGigantic water volumes are exerting immense pressure on Danube dikes and additional protective structures in southern Germany. Some of the dikes are currently teetering on the verge of collapse beneath the overwhelming force. The Passau city center is already submerged, having been closed. [
06:55 Castle ruins crumbling - inhabitants evacuateSections of the Falkenstein castle in Upper Bavaria have succumbed to erosion due to non-stop rain. Rosenheim District confirmed the safe evacuation of 50 residents dwelling beneath the castle. The castle ruin near the Austrian border is a respected hiking site. The main castle Falkenstein was constructed about 1300, per the Chiemsee-Alpenland Tourism Association. The outer castle was erected in the 15th and 16th centuries. After an extensive expansion period in the 16th and 17th centuries, the complex was destroyed by fires towards the end of the 1700s, resulting in a ruin. The magnitude of the damage to the ruin is hitherto undisclosed.
06:22 Rescuers cease active search for the missing firefighterActive search for the missing firefighter in the Swabian flood has been terminated. It's speculated that the 22-year-old might have drowned, affirms a police spokesperson. When the water recedes, he is expected to be discovered. The young man was traveling with a boat from the DLRG lifeguard in Offingen near the border with Baden-Württemberg at night. The vessel with five rescue crew members was inundated by potent currents. Unscathed, four rescue team members aged between 24 and 70 reached safety.
Note: Police later announced that the search for the missing firefighter would persist (see entry at 9:38 a.m.).
06:03 "A hundred years since we've had this much rain": Stations report century-worth downpour
In several regions of South Germany, precipitation levels have surpassed records from the last 50 to 100 years, shares meteorologist Thomas Deutschländer of the German Weather Service. "That's quite striking, but not entirely unexpected." "The figures are preliminary at present. We need to examine the data." Frequently, stations lack data or their measurements are insufficient. "Overall, there's more to come. Current data being reported are somewhat conservative."
Note: The provided text has been paraphrased.
### 5:33 Danube in Passau Surpasses 9-Meter Water Level
The current water level in Passau's Danube has exceeded the 9-meter mark overnight. At 3 am, the Hochwassernachrichtendienst (HND) reports a water level of 9.27 meters. Earlier on Monday evening, the gauge reading recorded 8.83 meters. The HND expects the peak to reach at midday on Tuesday with 9.50 meters. The majority of Passau's Old Town was closed for vehicular traffic on Monday due to rising flood waters. With a water level of 8.50 meters, areas where beverage establishments are located are inundated more extensively. Passau reached this level on Monday afternoon.
4:07 Evacuations of Regensburg Residents Required
Around 200 residents in Regensburg's inner city are being ordered to leave their homes due to a worsening flood situation. "The Werftstraße's ground is becoming increasingly soft as a result of the high water level, posing an immediate threat that the flood protection measures may no longer hold," the Bavarian city reported on its official website. Consequently, the rescue services decided to evacuate all residents of the entire street.
2:47 Flood Situation in Rosenheim Region Relents
Conditions in the southern Rosenheim area have slightly improved, according to the district. As a result, schools and kindergartens in the affected towns will remain shut on Tuesday. Reports of evacuations in Raubling and Rohrdorf have surfaced, although the number of individuals impacted is unclear. The Rosenheim district previously enacted a disaster dispensation. More than 1000 emergency personnel from the fire department and the Technical Relief Organization were on site, the district added. According to the German Met Office, rainfall across Bavaria is anticipated to abate overnight on Tuesday.
1:28 Weather Warnings Lifted by German Met Office
Amidst the escalating flood crisis in southern Germany, the German Met Office (DWD) has said it's lifting all weather warnings across Germany. The DWD reported this development. Recent heavy rains caused water levels at numerous streams and rivers, especially in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, to sharply rise. Whole villages were inundated, even after dams had fallen. To date, at least four people have perished in the floods. The situation in parts of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg remained alarming on Monday.
0:12 Falling Water Levels in the Southwest
After the recent floods, water levels are declining at the vast majority of waterways in the southwest. Nevertheless, water levels are still surging at significant rivers such as the Danube and the Rhine, reports the flood forecasting center. However, no further severe values are expected that would breach the existing limits. At the Danube from the Pegel Hundersingen in the district of Sigmaringen downstream, as well as at Lake Constance, the High Rhine, and the Upper Rhine, the water is presently rising. At the Pegel Maxau near Karlsruhe, the latest peak value, which was 8.29 meters on Sunday, is not forecasted to be surpassed again. The Neckar is receding.
22:53 Rosenheim District Warns Residents to Stay Home
In light of the flood, the Rosenheim district in Upper Bavaria has cautioned residents to stay home. "There is a grave threat to personal safety," states a message from the authority. They must stay clear of open water bodies and not interfere with rescue services who are already on the job. On Tuesday, schools in several communities - Brannenburg, Raubling, Rohrdorf, Oberaudorf, Nussdorf, Neubeuern, Bad Feilnbach, and Flintsbach - will remain closed. The State Education Authority Rosenheim will convey this information to the impacted schools. Kindergartens in the towns will be shut as well.
21:47 Burg Falkenstein Collapsing in Flintsbach
In Flintsbach, part of Burg Falkenstein in the Rosenheim district has caved in due to the relentless rain. The Rosenheim district administration has announced this. Residents living below the castle will need to be evacuated.
21:08 Evacuations at Germany's Largest Camping Site
By Tuesday, the Wesel [city in North Rhine-Westphalia], the largest camping site in Germany with around 5000 permanent campers, must be evacuated due to flooding. The Grav-Island camping site's operators communicated this after the area surrounding the rivers and waterways experienced increasing water levels.
20:53 Passau's Werftstraße Evacuations
Evacuations are needed for Regensburg's Werftstraße, as the city has announced. The street lies in close proximity to the Danube, and its ground is eroding due to high groundwater levels. As the installed flood protection mechanisms may cease to function, the entire street will be evacuated starting at 9 pm.
You can review all previous developments in this ongoing series of events here.
Read also:
- The live ticker on the news outlets is constantly updating with the latest information about the flood situation, including the ongoing search for the missing firefighter.
- In the search for the missing firefighter, international volunteers and local fire departments are using boats equipped with sonar technology to scour the flooded areas for any sign of the young man.
- The police are urging people to stay away from the affected areas and not to interfere with the rescue efforts, as the live ticker updates show the challenges and dangers faced by the first responders.
