- Flooding in North Baden - forecast for next storm
Ralf Müller has already experienced several floods in the Bruchsal district of Heidelsheim, even helping out with a hose boat from house to house. But he can't remember a comparable storm like the one that poured over the town on Wednesday evening. "I've never seen anything like this." The small river Saalbach flooded the streets in a very short time. "We couldn't do anything, we just had to watch," he says.
In nearby Gondelsheim, the force of the water is also evident. Resident Volker Martin points to several scratches on the house wall above the garage door. "Our neighbor had a large bus, a Sprinter, parked here - it scraped along and scratched the whole wall." Other cars were also swept through the street. "It's quite frightening," says Martin.
Firefighters in large-scale operation
After the heavy storm, firefighters are in a large-scale operation. "Firefighters will be busy all day pumping out cellars, underground passages, and underground garages," said press spokesman Edgar Geißler.
The water has largely receded, but there is still mud in many houses and on the streets. In addition, many branches and bushes that were washed up by the water masses along the streets still need to be removed. "The emergency services will now go through the streets one by one and clear it up," the spokesman reported. These are not time-critical operations.
Further storms possible on Wednesday
In parts of Baden-Württemberg, there may be thunderstorms and individual storms again in the afternoon. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there may be storm-like thunderstorms from the afternoon to Thursday night. This could include heavy rain with up to 25 liters of precipitation per square meter in an hour, hail, and gusts of wind up to 80 kilometers per hour.
The area from Oberschwaben to the Ostalb is likely to be particularly affected. A DWD spokesman did not rule out isolated amounts of up to 40 liters of rain per square meter.
Watch water levels
According to the flood forecast center, strong water level increases in the affected streams and small rivers are possible until Thursday night due to locally extremely heavy rainfall.
In built-up areas, local overloads of the sewer system and rapid flooding of streets, cellars, underground passages, and underground garages can occur in individual cases when there are heavy rainfall. Flooding of streets is also possible outside of built-up areas.
"Absolute chaos" in Gondelsheim - two injured
In Gondelsheim, about 15 kilometers west of Karlsruhe, a helper was injured while transporting sandbags. One person suffered a shoulder bruise in a fall. A firefighter spokesman reported washed-away cars in the early evening. "It's absolute chaos." People had reported being trapped in their cars by the water, a police spokesman said. In Linkenheim-Hochstetten, lightning struck the attic of a multi-family house, setting it on fire. The fire department extinguished the flames.
The German Life Saving Association (DLRG) rescued numerous people from houses and cars. "Everything with a flashing light is out today," said operation leader Timo Imhof.
Unusually large amounts of water and the hottest day of the year
According to the flood center, the river Saalbach reached its peak level of over 2.13 meters at the Bruchsal gauge around 2:30 AM, slightly above the 100-year flood mark of 2.10 meters. The old town of Heidelsheim's district was flooded, and Bruchsal's city center also experienced flooding, such as in its underpasses, according to the fire department. However, water levels began to recede later that night.
A spokesperson for the German Weather Service (DWD) reported that between 6:00 PM and 10:00 PM in the Bruchsal area, 91 liters of rain per square meter were recorded, one of the highest amounts measured in Baden-Württemberg. This was already unusual.
Provisional data from the German Weather Service (DWD) showed that the second-highest temperature in Germany on Tuesday was recorded in Waghäusel-Kirrlach in the Karlsruhe district, at 36.3 degrees Celsius. Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler in Rhineland-Palatinate took first place with 36.5 degrees Celsius, making Tuesday the warmest day of the year so far, according to preliminary data.
The cleanup process in Gondelsheim is extensive, with numerous vehicles damaged and other property affected. Other than cars, some household items were also swept away, leaving residents with a significant loss.
Despite the efforts of various emergency services, some residents in nearby areas are still urging others to keep a close eye on water levels, as further storms and heavy rainfall are predicted in the coming days.
