Intense Downpours and Electrical Storms - North Rhine-Westphalia experiences numerous fires due to powerful storms, requiring the intervention of numerous firefighters.
Torrential rains hit several areas in North Rhine-Westphalia in the evening, prompting firefighters to attend to numerous emergencies in various cities. Thankfully, the situation improved by Tuesday night. The weatherman predicts more showers and storms today, which might lead to heavy rainfall, especially in the eastern mountains.
As per the Ratingen fire department, a heavy rain cell moved over the city, leading to water damage, mainly in the Breitscheid and Lintorf districts. By early evening, they had received around 120 damage reports, with about 100 firefighters on the scene to cope with the situation.
The Duisburg fire department too reported multiple incidents due to severe thunderstorms. A lightning bolt set fire to a roof in Huckingen, making half of a semi-detached house uninhabitable. Moreover, underpasses beneath bridges got flooded, resulting in several vehicle rescues. The fire department was highly active in the city center and southern parts of Duisburg, even calling in all volunteer units. A total of 250 personnel were assigned, including 175 volunteers.
The Dinslaken fire department was also on high alert, handling flooded basements and streets. The Wesel fire control center received over 1000 calls and attended to 260 to 280 incidents. Fortunately, no lives were at risk, and the situation had largely improved by around 10 PM.
In response to the flooded underpasses, Duisburg's fire department carried out several vehicle rescues during the evening. The intense firefighting efforts led by the Duisburg fire department prevented any major structural damage from the roof fire caused by a lightning bolt.
