Emergency incidents - Endless rainfall and historic floods ensue.
People are being saved from inflatable boats and helicopters as they escape from houses surrounded by murky water. Car rooftops stand tall above brown floods. Teams of rescuers are continuously working around the clock: It's pouring down rain, and parts of Bavaria are sinking in the floodwaters. In seven districts, an emergency alert was declared on Saturday.At some monitoring stations in western Bavaria, the highest flood warning level four was reached, while it is still expected at others.
Bavaria's Governor Markus Söder and Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann traveled to the Swabian flood zone. These CSU politicians got a first-hand look at the devastation in Diedorf.
The people affected are describing the situation as "extremely difficult." "This isn't over yet," said Governor Söder. "It's getting really serious now." The focus of the weather disaster is currently in Swabia, so resources are being focused there.
"Without the volunteers, we wouldn't stand a chance," Söder voiced the gratitude of the rescue teams. They all showed incredible dedication. He asked the citizens: "Please follow the guidelines."
In this area, residents of certain streets were told to leave their homes immediately. The water levels were rising rapidly. "It's not enough to go to the upper floors anymore," warned a spokesperson for the Augsburg district administration.
Earlier, a dike at the Anhausen Weiher had broken, and soon after, a dam in Burgwalden. Authorities urged people to stay away from railway underpasses, as they could become overflowed with water. This presents a risk to life. In Fischach in the Augsburg district, people were airlifted out of their homes by helicopters when rescuers were no longer able to reach them.
The Bavarian Flood Information Service reported that the water levels had reached some sites that are only reached on average once every 100 years. A 100-year flood (HQ100) is a calculated value and represents a flood that is reached or exceeded on average once every hundred years.
The water levels are still rising in many areas. In the face of the severe rainfall and the expected flooding, the districts of Gunzburg, Augsburg, Aichach-Friedberg, Neu-Ulm, Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, Donau-Ries, and Unterallgäu have all declared an emergency alert.
In Babenhausen in Unterallgäu, parts of the mobile phone network went down. People who need help but can't make an emergency call should hang a white sheet or cloth out of the window or, if possible, make themselves visible at the window to draw attention to their plight, suggested the district administration. In Babenhausen, residents were already evacuated using inflatable boats. "It got worse and worse, and we had no other choice but to leave," said a local. The people had to leave their houses as quickly as possible.
In the Donau-Ries district, the rain is expected to continue, according to the weather forecast, with the forecasted water levels reaching their peak on Monday. The district administration in Donauwörth said that, above all, the water of the Danube would rise significantly in the next few hours. Additional measures like possibly necessary evacuations could be taken, with residents being notified in advance.
Countless helpers were working in Bavaria. They were filling sandbags non-stop in some places and then stacking them to protect residential areas or shore up dams. Industrial-strength pumps were used to drain water and relieve dams. Plastic sheets were also used for stabilization.
In some places, rainfall of 130 liters or more per square meter fell. According to the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach, around 135 liters per square meter fell in Sigmarszell-Zeisertsweiler in the Lindau district from Friday morning to Saturday. While a slight improvement was reported in the Lindau region on Saturday, the authorities downstream on the Danube were preparing for rising water levels. The Danube water levels at Kelheim were predicted to reach the highest stage of four.
For vast areas of Bavaria, continuous rain is predicted until Sunday, and the highest water levels may not be reached until Monday night. The DWD warned of further storms with large amounts of rain, up to 100-150 liters per square meter in southwestern Bavaria, and potentially even more in southern Swabia. Due to flash floods and severe water levels, as well as areas that are inaccessible due to water masses and possible landslides, there is "danger to life and limb."
In southern Bavaria, the DWD also expects rain to continue on Monday morning. Water levels are also rising in Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate.
