Flooding rains in North Rhine-Westphalia leave vehicles stranded inside tunnels
Massive storms are tearing across Germany, heading east from west. In North Rhine-Westphalia, stranded drivers needed rescue from water-logged cars. In Thuringia, a truck carrying hazardous materials was involved in an accident due to slippery roads. In Brandenburg, a Eurocity train came to a halt.
Fierce rain in Grevenbroich, North Rhine-Westphalia, triggered emergency calls for the fire department. Two car occupants needed rescue as their vehicles were submerged in floodwaters, the local fire department announced. Flooded basements reached nearly a meter deep in certain districts, with apartments taking on water from sewers.
One neighborhood witnessed a temporary halt on a regional train track due to excessive water flooding the tracks and German Railways needing to verify the track's safety. The fire department reported over 60 interventions due to weather-related incidents start in the afternoon. On Tuesday, torrential storms with severe potential impacted vast parts of Germany. Regions were affected over a widespread area since the afternoon hours.
Aquaplaning on the A4 highway
After heavy rain in Thuringia, a vehicle on the A4 possibly lost traction due to aquaplaning and hit an Lkw transporting hazardous substances. The Lkw burst into flames for an unknown reason, as per police reports in the evening.
The highway was shut down briefly in both directions due to potentially harmful smoke development. The fire department allowed the cargo to burn in place. The cleanup efforts were still ongoing in the late hours. Residents were advised to shut their doors and windows in parts of Weimar.
A Eurocity train bound for Prague stopped due to a storm-related power line failure in Brandenburg during the evening, as reported by a German Railways spokesperson. A tree had fallen on the power line, causing the train to lose power. The passengers were forced to vacate the train at Elsterwerda in Brandenburg and were transported by bus. The exact number of affected individuals was uncertain initially. The train was to be towed, but it was powerless at the time.Trains on the line between Dresden and Berlin were diverted via Leipzig, the spokesperson added.In general, only minor delays in rail traffic were recorded due to the heavy weather, mainly due to fallen trees, she said.
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The International Red Cross has deployed emergency responders to aid affected communities, as extreme weather conditions persist across Germany. The German Weather Service has issued warnings for more heavy rain and strong winds, forecasting potential flooding in several areas.
