Suspension of Shipping: Flooding Affects Middle and Upper Rhine at 10:40 AM
Following heavy rainfall, Germany's primary waterway, the Rhine, is inaccessible in several sections. A representative from the Waterways and Shipping Office Rhine (WSA) informed Reuters that shipping has come to a halt on the Middle and Upper Rhine regions. In the beginning, only the Upper Rhine was obstructed in areas such as Maxau, Mannheim, and Worms. However, now parts of the Middle Rhine are also facing issues, including Mainz and Bingen. "Numerous ships have moored or stayed put in the ports," the rep explained. "They're currently awaiting for water levels at the gauges to decrease." The peak is predicted to occur in the afternoon or night. The region around Bingen might be navigable again on Thursday, as per current forecasts. "Shipping anticipates being stalled for a few days," the statement added. The closures are designed to prevent damages to the banks caused by the sea traffic. Ships produce waves that can spill over the banks and flood basements, among other damages.
10:20 Additional disruptions crop up on various lines in South Germany
Due to flooding in specific parts of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria, the Deutsche Bahn is incapable of functioning on several lines for local and long-distance transportation. As of now, four lines are still afflicted by delays: the Stuttgart-Ulm-Augsburg-Munich, Nuremberg-Donauwörth-Augsburg-Munich, Munich-Memmingen-Lindau, and the Ulm-Memmingen-Kempten. So, Munich cannot be approached from the west and north. Though, the Bahn still suggests avoiding train trips to South Germany. Furthermore, there are individual malfunctions and delays on the following lines: Munich-Nuremberg-Erfurt-Berlin, Karlsruhe-Stuttgart-Ulm, Augsburg-Munich, Stuttgart-Mannheim-Frankfurt(M), Munich-Lindau-Bregenz-Zurich, Karlsruhe-Stuttgart-Crailsheim-Nuremberg, Augsburg-Kempten(Allgäu)-Oberstdorf, and Nuremberg-Würzburg.
10:06 Seach for missing firefighter persists with drones and helicopters
The investigation for a firefighter believed to be lost amidst the floods in Swabia will continue, although not in the water for now. Police spokedperson Holger Stabik said, "We aren't currently searching in the water. The currents are too powerful for emergency responders to conduct a search from the water." Drones and a helicopter will be deployed for this purpose. The firefighter is presumed to have perished. If he has indeed passed away, he would be the fifth reported fatality from the floods in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg (see also entries at 09:38 and 06:22 am).
09:38 Police revises statement: Search for missing firefighter still in progress
The hunt for a lost firefighter in the flooded Swabian area is ongoing. Police have retracted their earlier report claiming the end of the search (see entry at 06:22 am). It's anticipated that the 22-year-old succumbed to drowning, according to a police spokesperson earlier. The young man was out with a DLRG rescue boat in Offingen near the border with Baden-Württemberg during the night from Sunday to Monday. The boat, piloted by five rescue volunteers, capsized in strong currents. Four rescue volunteers aged 24 to 70 safely made it to shore without injuries.
08:45 Regensburg's mayor warns against high-water sightseeing: "Stay clear of bridges"
The mayor of the currently flooded city of Regensburg, Gertrud Maltz-Schwarzfischer, urges against high-water tourism. "We have a throng of tourists, but now locals are exploring too. Please don't gaze from the water - just observe," Maltz-Schwarzfischer remarks in Bavarian Radio. It's crucial not to venture onto the bridges because helpers may need to access those areas. In the Bavarian metropolis on the Danube, the situation was tense during the night, according to the mayor. The lofty groundwater levels and unstable underlayer endangered evacuations. High-water mark has been attained during the night, and she hopes that the water levels will decline during the day on Tuesday. Although it's challenging to forecast if the dikes and protective structures will withstand the pressure from the fluctuating subsoil, the mayor said. "We have a distinct scenario than in 2013, since we have notably high groundwater levels and the substratum grows increasingly unstable. And the strain on the dikes as a result of a fluctuating subsoil is already perilously critical."
The state of affairs in the Bavarian town of Passau is getting more intense. The town was predicted to hit the 9.50 meters high-water mark in the afternoon, but it's already well above that point, as mentioned by ntv reporter Felix Balß.
7:48 Bavarian Fire Department Association: Unprecedented Deployment
Bavarian fire departments are being utilized extensively due to the flood, claims the Bavarian Fire Department Association. "This doesn't happen frequently or on this scale," says association head Johann Eitzenberger to the "Süddeutsche Zeitung." "We have 30,000 volunteer firefighters on duty daily, trying to prevent and minimize damage wherever possible." The situation is relatively stable at the moment, but who knows what could happen next, says Eitzenberger. "We'll need specific skills for a while, like handling oil from heating tanks."
7:28 Video: Donau dikes and protective walls near to breaking
The Danube is putting extreme pressure on dikes and additional protective walls in southern Germany. Some dikes are now in danger of breaking under the immense weight. Passau's city center is already submerged and is closed.
6:55 Castle of Falkenstein slips - residents evacuated
Sections of the Falkenstein Castle in Upper Bavaria have slipped off due to the persistent rain. In Flintsbach, 50 residents have been safely extracted, the Rosenheim area confirms. The castle ruins near the Austrian border are a well-liked hiking destination. The main castle Falkenstein was constructed around 1300, as stated by the Chiemsee-Alpenland Tourism Association. The outer castle was built in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Following a comprehensive building phase in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, the complex was destroyed by fires at the end of the eighteenth century. It is part of the Petersberg monument complex with the Roman Peterskirche and the adjoining Mesner House. The extent of the damage to the ruins is uncertain.
6:22 Relieving search efforts for missing firefighter
The search for a lose firefighter in the Swabian flood is no longer being financially supported. The 22-year-old is likely to have drowned, states a police spokesperson. He might be discovered when the water recedes. The missing firefighter had accompanied five rescue workers in a boat for the DLRG water rescue in Offingen near the border with Baden-Württemberg. The boat with the five rescuers was overturned by strong currents. Four rescuers between 24 and 70 years old managed to survive and were uninjured.
Note: The police have since claimed that the hunt for the lost firefighter will persist (see entry at 9:38 am).
6:03 Stations record "century-downpours"
At different places in Southern Germany, as much rain has descended in the past few days as just every 50 to 100 years, shares meteorologist Thomas Deutschländer of the German Weather Service. "That's relatively remarkable, but not incredibly unusual." "We must confirm the data," says Deutschländer. "Sometimes stations stop working or the measurements are not accurate." "In general, there's still somewhat more to come, the present data are somewhat conservative."
5:33 Danube in Passau surpasses nine-meter threshold
The water level of the Danube in Passau went beyond the nine-meter point in the wee hours of Tuesday. At 3 a.m., the Hydrological Service (HND) indicates a water level at 9.27 meters. On Monday night, the gauge reading was 8.83 meters. According to the HND forecast, the pinnacle should be attained at midday on Tuesday with 9.50 meters. The Passau old town was closed to traffic during the day because of the flood for the most part. The flood level of 8.50 meters leads to the reinforcement of beaches. This level was reached in Passau on Monday.
4:07 200 people in Regensburg ordered to evacuate
Due to the worsening flood position, approximately 200 individuals in the Regensburg city center have been told to leave their homes. "Due to the soil of the Werftstraße crumbling more and more due to the high water table level, the flood protection elements are in danger of collapsing," says the Bavarian municipality on its website. Consequently, the rescue service has decided to evacuate all residents of the entire street.
2:47 Flood conditions in Rosenheim district slightly improve
The flood circumstances in the southern Rosenheim district have slightly abated. This is reported by the district. As a result, schools and kindergartens in the affected communities are anticipated to remain shut on Tuesday. In Raubling and Rohrdorf, evacuations took place. At first, it was unclear how many people were concerned. Earlier, the district had already recognized a disaster. Over 1,000 emergency services personnel from the fire department and the Technical Assistance Organization were on site, the district additionally notes. According to a message from the German Meteorological Service, the precipitation in Bavaria is expected to decrease overnight on Tuesday.
In the midst of the flood crisis in southern Germany, the German Meteorological Service (DWD) has issued a statement canceling all weather warnings for the region. The past few days have seen heavy rainfall, which caused water levels to rise dramatically in many streams and rivers, especially in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Entire neighborhoods were submerged, even after dams collapsed. At least four people have died in the floods so far. The situation in both Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg remained precarious on Monday.
00:12 Many water levels in the southwest are decreasing
Following the recent floods, water levels at most waterways in the southwest are droping again, reports the Flood Forecasting Center. The only exceptions are larger rivers such as the Danube and Rhine, where water levels are still rising. However, there are no more critical values expected that could be surpassed, comments a spokesperson. At the Danube from the Hundersingen dam in the district of Sigmaringen downstream, as well as at Lake Constance, the Upper and Lower Rhine, the water level continues to rise. At the Maxau gauge near Karlsruhe, the peak value of 8.29 meters on Sunday is not anticipated to be broken again. The trend is decreasing at the Neckar.
22:53 Municipality of Rosenheim: Residents should stay indoors
The Rosenheim district in Upper Bavaria has urged residents to stay indoors due to the flood situation. "There is a real danger to life and limb," said a statement from the municipality. People should avoid being outdoors, keep away from open bodies of water, and not obstruct rescue services in their tasks. On Tuesday, schools will be closed in a number of communities: in Brannenburg, Raubling, Rohrdorf, Oberaudorf, Kiefersfelden, Nussdorf, Neubeuern, Bad Feilnbach, and Flintsbach. The State Education Authority in Rosenheim will inform the affected schools. Kindergartens in these communities are also expected to remain closed.
21:47 Rosenheim District: Portions of Burg Falkenstein have slid away
In Flintsbach, Rosenheim District, parts of Burg Falkenstein have collapsed as a result of the heavy rainfall. This is reported by the Rosenheim District Office. 50 residents living below the fortress need to be evacuated.
21:08 One of Germany's largest campsites has to be evacuated
The campground in Wesel, North Rhine-Westphalia, must be evacuated within the next 24 hours due to the flood situation, according to the Grav-Island campsite's operators. Rising water levels in the surrounding rivers and waterways are the reason, as the operators of the Grav-Island report. The Grav-Island is the largest campsite in Germany with 5000 permanent campers.
20:53 Regensburg: Werftstraße is being evacuated
The Werftstraße in Regensburg is being evacuated, as the city of Regensburg declares. The street is situated directly on the Danube and the soil of the street is becoming increasingly soft due to the high groundwater levels. The installed flood protection elements may fail and the street may be flooded. Approximately 200 people need to be evacuated from 21:00.
Stay updated with all previous developments. Here
(Note: The formatting might have changed slightly, but the meaning of the text remains the same.)
Read also:
- The flooding has also affected international shipping on the Rhine, with delays reported in the live ticker for vessels trying to navigate past Maxau, Mannheim, and Worms in the Upper Rhine, as well as Mainz and Bingen in the Middle Rhine.
- In an effort to mitigate further damage, some international shipping routes along the Rhine have temporarily halted, due to the high water levels and precarious conditions causing concern for the banks and structures.
- As a result of the extreme flooding, some international cargo ships have been forced to dock or divert their routes, causing delays in the shipping industry and contributing to a backlog of goods awaiting transport along the Rhine, including in cities such as Amsterdam and Rotterdam.
