- Crisis and emergency after storms
Severe Storms have flooded streets, filled basements, and especially caused the river Saalbach in the district of Karlsruhe to rise dramatically. Firefighters, police, and rescue services are in continuous operation. In Gondelsheim, an assistant was injured while transporting sandbags. "No further personal injuries are currently known," the district fire department reported.
The flood control center warned in the evening that due to locally heavy rainfall, there could be strong water level increases in some streams and small rivers in Baden-Württemberg during the night and on Wednesday.
The Police in Karlsruhe urges people to avoid non-essential travel due to the storm situation. "If you are in the affected area, please inform yourself in advance about passable routes," it said in a statement. "We ask the public to keep up-to-date with the current situation and follow the instructions of the local emergency services," the police appealed.
Hundreds of deployments in the Karlsruhe region
"In built-up areas, heavy rainfall can lead to local overloads of the sewer system and rapid flooding of streets, basements, underpasses, and underground car parks in individual cases," the flood experts wrote in a situation report on the website. "Flooding of roads is also possible outside of built-up areas." However, there is no regional flood risk on larger rivers.
According to initial information from the situation center in the Ministry of the Interior, the focus of the evening's storm deployments was in the Karlsruhe region. The district fire department reported shortly before midnight that the firefighters had so far processed over 500 deployments. Around 300 deployments are still open, "but these are not time-critical." In total, several hundred people are involved.
To coordinate the storm deployments across the district of Karlsruhe, the fire department has declared an "exceptional deployment situation." District fire chief Jürgen Bordt from the district administration is leading the control center. "In addition, various cities and municipalities have convened administrative staff and the fire stations are constantly staffed." The police also informed that the district administration has set up a crisis team.
In some places, water is standing half a meter high on the streets or in underpasses, a police spokesman said. The area around Bretten and Bruchsal is particularly affected.
"Absolute chaos"
In Gondelsheim, about 15 kilometers west of Karlsruhe, cars are being swept away by floodwaters, a fire department spokesman said in the early evening. "Absolute chaos" reigns. People who are surrounded by water in their vehicles have reported, a police spokesman said. However, he explained that according to the initial assessment of the fire department, no evacuation measures are currently necessary. The Saalbach has overflowed in some places. The fire department Gondelsheim wrote on Facebook about the flooding: "We currently have many reports that we are prioritizing and working through."
On the social network Facebook, the municipality reported that there is an emergency situation throughout the town. People should support friends and neighbors if possible. "After the rain, many helping hands and also pumps, etc. will be needed."
The district road maintenance department is constantly driving around the affected area with trucks on federal roads to test the accessibility via the road network, according to the fire department.
People in Bruchsal are advised to stay at home.
Due to the storm, the city of Bruchsal warned the population: "Attention - Stay at home", it said in the evening on the website. "Due to a heavy rain event, flooding is occurring in parts of the inner city of Bruchsal and the districts of Heidelsheim and Helmsheim." The road through Helmsheim is partially under a meter of water. Here, the river Saalbach has also overflowed in parts.
Due to flooding, roads, intersections, and underpasses are not passable and closed. In Helmsheim, there is a risk that a transformer station will be flooded, which could result in a power outage. The fire station in Heidelsheim is not accessible due to flooding.
TheFürst-Stirum Clinic in Bruchsal is also affected by the storm damage, the fire department reported - without providing details. It remains fully operational.
River exceeds previous high water marks
Impressive views from the flood control center showed the situation: The graph for the Gondelsheim gauge showed that the line had been below the ten-centimeter mark for several days and into Tuesday. In the evening, the curve suddenly jumped to over 2.70 meters - exceeding the data from the years 2013 (2.23 meters), 2015 (2.06 meters), and 1983 (1.95 meters). However, it was also visible around midnight that the water level was dropping sharply.
At this time, a slight increase was still expected for the downstream Bruchsal gauge. Here, the water level had risen from below 30 centimeters during the day to almost 2.00 meters. The water level was 1.68 meters during the 2013 flood. Experts speak of a so-called 100-year flood when the mark of 2.10 meters is reached, and a 50-year flood at 1.92 meters. The flood control center does not provide such information for Gondelsheim.
Hottest day of the year
In Linkenheim-Hochstetten, lightning struck the attic of a multi-family house, causing a fire. The fire department extinguished the flames. Residents are temporarily staying in a church, as the house is without gas and electricity.
Later, storms moved north over the Heilbronn region. A police spokesman initially reported only a few deployments, such as fallen trees. On the A81 highway, drivers had to be warned of aquaplaning at times.
With a maximum temperature of 36.3 degrees, Tuesday in Waghaeusel-Kirrlach in the Karlsruhe district was provisionally measured as the second-highest value nationwide by the German Weather Service (DWD). Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler in Rhineland-Palatinate took first place with 36.5 degrees, a meteorologist from DWD said. Thus, according to provisional data, Tuesday was the hottest day of the year so far.
The flood hazard warning issued by the flood control center suggests that there might be significant water level increases in some streams and small rivers in Baden-Württemberg during the night and on Wednesday, potentially exacerbating the current flood situation.
Given the severe flood hazard, the police in Karlsruhe are urging people to avoid non-essential travel and keep up-to-date with the current situation to ensure their safety.
