Dramatic flooding leads to evacuated roads and closed schools

Metrological conditions. - Dramatic flood scenario leads to empty roads and school shutdowns.

Cellars are inundated, streets are flooded, and people are being evacuated: After more rainfall overnight on Monday, the flood condition has deteriorated in many regions of Baden-Württemberg. Emergency services are continuously working to combat the water flooding. Due to the impending new rain showers and rising water levels, evacuations are underway, especially in the area surrounding the state capital. The Rems-Murr-Kreis, the Ostalbkreis, and the Göppingen district are most affected.

Update in the morning:

In the town of Ebersbach an der Fils south of Stuttgart, several people are in danger, according to an estimate by the district administration. Residents of certain areas were evacuated. The flooding affects a residential area, and an extraordinary emergency situation has been declared by the district administration Göppingen in the morning. The number of those affected was still unclear from a city spokeswoman.

The federal highway 10 in Ebersbach an der Fils is closed around the city; the water is knee-high, said a spokesman for the district administration. Water masses have breached a noise barrier on the federal highway and inundated the lanes. The water on the road comes mainly from the Fils River, which flows nearby, but also from embankments. The railway line from Göppingen to Ebersbach is also closed.

The situation in the Ostalbkreis is also becoming critical. Due to the forecasted floods, people were evacuated from parts of the communities of Leinzell, Heuchlingen, and Göggingen during the night to Monday, as a spokeswoman for the crisis staff announced early Monday morning. The entire town of Täferrot should be evacuated. The first floods had already reached Täferrot in the morning, it was stated. Around 250 to 300 people were taken to safe places during the night.

Floods were also threatening the towns along the Lein. Due to intense thunderstorms and heavy rain in the northwestern part of the Ostalbkreis and the Rems-Murr-Kreis, two flood retention basins in the region had reached their maximum capacities. They were being released under controlled conditions. The extent to which the flood would affect the communities was still unknown. The people were informed about the situation via warning apps.

The flood situation in the Rems-Murr-Kreis has unexpectedly worsened. The situation seemed to be under control on Sunday evening when the authority reported. After the heavy rainfall during the night, the disaster alert was now activated, the district administration announced in the morning. Since morning, evacuations are being carried out in the affected Rems communities.

Extreme heavy rainfall has particularly affected the small community of Rudersberg. The entire area of the municipality is flooded, and all roads are closed, said a spokesperson for the local fire department in the morning. The districts of Schlechtbach and Klaffenbach are still flooded, the fire department is trying to gain access to the residents. "Some people may be trapped," the spokesperson said. The same was said by the district administration.

Temporary dam in Esslingen

A temporary dam is being built in Esslingen am Neckar to prevent flooding in parts of the city center. The peak was expected to occur early Monday morning, the city stated. Floods of the canals in the inner city area may result, the city announced. Near the so-called water house at a canal, around 1,500 tons of stone and sand were piled up in the night and Monday morning. In the vicinity of the construction site, traffic disruptions should be expected, as the municipality announced.

Caution in basements and underground garages

Cities also warned against entering certain areas. "We urge you not to enter basements and underground garages in the inner city and in Oberesslingen for safety reasons. In addition, please do not enter areas directly along the Neckar," the city of Esslingen said. The city administration is monitoring the water levels further. "Please inform yourself regularly on this website and in the media," it was stated on the city's website.

Landslides in the Black Forest

The heavy rainfall also has consequences in the Black Forest: In the Schwarzwald-Baar-Kreis, several landslides occurred. In Villingen-Schwenningen, land masses moved along a country road and a district road, which had to be closed, according to a police spokesperson. In the village itself, several people had to be rescued with inflatable boats when the water in a street there reached a height of 1.80 meters. Numerous sewer overflows occurred in the district, as it was further reported.

The Landkreis Tuttlingen was hit hardest by flooding. Cellars were flooded and streets were flooded. Between Denkingen and Gosheim, an embankment collapsed on a country road. A larger operation was required to free people who were trapped in a gas station in Aldingen. On a federal road, a vehicle was surrounded by water masses. The fire department freed the occupants, and one person sustained minor injuries.

The ministers of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Kretschmann and Thomas Strobl, planned to assess the circumstances in Meckenbeuren, Bodenseekreis in the morning. They later intended to make a trip to Erbach in the Alb-Donau-Kreis, as declared by a representative from the state's government on a Sunday evening.

Due to the weather-related disturbance, train services in south Germany are badly affected. "We discourage travel to the regions struck by floods in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg and suggest delaying unnecessary trips," cautioned Deutsche Bahn (German Railways). Travelers are also advised that trains presently running may be very crowded.

Overnight accommodations have been set up in Stuttgart, Nuremberg, and Munich for commuters.

Numerous schools and kindergartens in various places will not open at the start of the week due to the potential danger of flooding. As stated by the Ostalbkreis district office, this applies to Taferrot, Heuchlingen, and Leinzell. In Abtsgmünd, the schools in the central town will also remain shut, as will the schools in the Rems-Murr-Kreis in the severely hit cities and locations of Waiblingen, Weinstadt, Remshalden, Winterbach, and Remseck am Neckar.

Furthermore, kindergartens will also be closed.

Unfortunately, there's no sign of improvement: The German Weather Service (DWD) anticipates heavy rains and storms in the southwest, covering areas around the Swabian Alb, for the beginning of the week. The DWD predicts up to 30 to 40 liters of rain per square meter in places south of the Swabian Alb till the evening. In Upper Swabia, strong thunderstorms with heavy rain are possible. Hail might also fall in some locations.

The city of Schorndorf, located east of Stuttgart, has asked its residents to stay away from the flooded regions.