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German Federal States — News — Rainfall — cronach — District of Cham — Flood — DWD — Rain — Flood situation — Bavaria — Lichtenfels — Coburg — Upper Franconia — Würzburg — Flooding — Augsburg — Bayreuth — Bavarian Forest — Rivers — Weather — Kulmbach — Reporting level — Alps

Flood situation remains critical: reporting level 4 possible

Further rainfall during the night has further exacerbated the flooding situation in parts of Bavaria. Experts are not ruling out flooding in built-up areas.

,   and  Elizabeth Wells
3 min read

Floods - Flood situation remains critical: reporting level 4 possible

The flood situation in the north and east of Bavaria worsened further on Thursday. According to forecasts by the Flood Information Service (HND), warning level 4 may be reached locally. This means that built-up areas could also be flooded to a greater extent. Particularly affected in the north are the regions around Coburg, Kronach, Lichtenfels, Kulmbach and Bayreuth, the northern part of Lower Franconia and the eastern Bavarian district of Cham along the River Regen.

The German Weather Service also announced further persistent rain for Thursday. In the low mountain ranges, the rainfall could subside during the course of the day. Snow is also expected at higher altitudes in the Alps and the Bavarian Forest.

In the past few days, the rain in the north and east of Bavaria had caused many rivers to rise and led to flooding in some places. In many places, volunteers fought against the water with the help of sandbags, for example, to prevent the worst from happening. In Würzburg, the traditional Three Kings Swim in the Main planned for Saturday was canceled. Swimming in the river is no longer permitted above a water level of 2.70 in Würzburg; the critical mark was exceeded on Wednesday.

According to a spokesperson for the flood information service of the Bavarian State Office for the Environment on Thursday, reporting level 3 is currently being exceeded at eight locations in Upper and Lower Franconia. These include, for example, the Franconian Saale near Bad Kissingen, the Steinach near Fürth am Berg (Coburg district) and the Main near Mainleus (Kulmbach district). At reporting level 3, individual built-up properties, cellars and streets could be flooded.

In view of the flooding and increasing extreme weather events, Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann (CSU) promised continued high investment in disaster protection. "In recent years, we have invested heavily in equipping the disaster control authorities and emergency organizations, with a total of 88 million euros invested since 2019. We will continue these investments at a high level," the minister told Mediengruppe Bayern (Passauer Neue Presse, Mittelbayerische Zeitung, Donaukurier) on Thursday.

The Free State is already well equipped with 450,000 emergency personnel in fire departments, voluntary aid organizations and the technical relief organization, as well as the "Disaster Protection Bavaria 2025" concept.

According to the information provided, a total of 47 million euros will be available for the procurement of resources and vehicles alone, despite the difficult conditions in the 2024/25 double budget. A further increase for the coming years will have to be discussed.

Press release

Read also:

  1. The excessive rainfall in recent days has contributed to the rise of rivers in the north and east of Bavaria, leading to flooding in certain areas, particularly around Coburg, Kronach, Lichtenfels, Kulmbach, and Bayreuth.
  2. Current forecasts by the DWD suggest that the flood situation in certain districts of Bavaria, like Cham along the River Regen, may reach warning level 4, potentially affecting built-up areas more significantly.
  3. The Bavarian district of Cham, along with Lichtenfels and the eastern regions, is at risk of flooding due to the ongoing rainfall, as reported by the DWD.
  4. With the possible attainment of reporting level 4, flooding could extend to built-up areas in the District of Cham, Kronach, Coburg, Bayreuth, and other north and eastern regions of Bavaria.
  5. The German Weather Service (DWD) has announced persistent rainfall and snowfall in the Alps and the Bavarian Forest, which could further exacerbate the flood situation in Upper and Lower Franconia.
  6. Seasoned volunteers in affected areas, such as Würzburg, are working tirelessly to prevent further flooding using sandbags and other methods, protecting properties from the rising waters.
  7. A significant number of rivers in Bavaria have already seen increased water levels due to the persistent rainfall, causing flooding in some places and prompting warnings from local authorities.
  8. As a response to the increasing extreme weather events and flooding, Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann pledged significant investment in disaster protection in Bavaria, aiming to continue equipping emergency organizations with resources.
  9. The current flood situation has led to reporting level 3 exceedance at eight locations in Upper and Lower Franconia, including in Bad Kissingen, Fürth am Berg, and Mainleus, potentially affecting individual properties, cellars, and streets.
  10. Despite facing budgetary constraints, the Free State of Bavaria has dedicated a total of 47 million euros to securing resources and vehicles for emergency response services, ensuring ongoing support to combat floods and other extreme weather events.

Source: www.stern.de

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