Southern regions anxiously gaze upward - insurers assess damages.
Throughout various areas in southern Germany, the bulk of the water has remained stagnant. Meteorologists anticipate a less intense rainfall in the near future, while officials are currently making space in reservoirs and dams. One state has already declared a preliminary sum of the damage caused by the floods.
Although the flood conditions along the Danube has somewhat eased, Bavaria refuses to feel at ease. Munich's Environment Minister, Thorsten Glauber, mentioned the potential for a reoccurrence of heavy rainfalls this coming weekend. Insurers estimate that the total cost of insured damages following the Bavarian and Baden-Württemberg floods will be around two billion euros.
This recent flood in southern Germany is the third and most substantial one in quick succession, affecting not only the Danube, but also numerous of its tributaries. "Given that the Danube's flood has yet to abate, there's still some uncertainty about that amount," expressed the German Insurance Association's managing director, Jörg Asmussen.
As it's been a week since the rainfall first started in these two regions, further showers and thunderstorms are expected. While officials do not foresee another weekend's worth of catastrophic flooding, they are still taking precautions. The Bavarian Environment Ministry intends to direct efforts towards blocking potential new floods. For example, the levels in dams and water reservoirs need to be lowered to allow space for more newly incoming water.
Delving into the weather patterns once more, the Bavarian Flood Service supposes the Alpine region might experience a rise in water levels on Monday. Although the risk is believed to be relatively low, they remain cautious, acknowledging that there may be a threat of getting close to warning levels three and four, which could lead to flooding of built-up areas. Baden-Württemberg's authorities are also paying close attention.
Besides individual citizens, infrastructure and the economy have also been affected. In Baden-Württemberg, roughly 95,000 hectares of farmland have been compromised, as shared by Agriculture Minister Peter Hauk. Nearly 26,000 hectares of farmland and well over 22,000 hectares of grassland have been inundated.
Due to the impending rains, the Bavarian Spokesman for the Farmers' Association, Markus Drexler, adds heavy flood damage to the agricultural scene. "The floodwaters have annihilated a significant amount of crops for this year," stated Drexler. Damage to grains such as wheat, beets, potatoes, and corn plus special crops like field vegetables, strawberries, and raspberries is currently unquantifiable. There are farms where the entire cultivated area has been submerged for several days.
