Inundation - The flood situation continues to be tense, with additional rain expected.
The Danube is losing its disastrous levels of water down south, but there's still tension in areas like Kelheim and Passau, particularly at Regensburg. Despite this, there are signs of improvement. Affected districts of Swabia and Upper Bavaria are still far from returning to normalcy. Authorities report three people still missing at this time, according to the Interior Ministry's update on Friday morning.
The German Weather Service (DWD) shares that southern Bavaria may be facing more rain by Saturday evening, lasting until Monday morning. DWD meteorologist Dirk Mewes shares this news with the German Press Agency on Thursday. It's uncertain where the rain will strike.
In Regensburg, attention's focus is on Werftstraße. To alleviate the pressure on the protective walls, the city ceased to pump water flowing through the protective walls back into the Danube on Wednesday. Fearful of the soft ground collapsing and the protective elements sliding, a certain inflow was permitted. This "targeted increase in water levels" has reportedly kept the street and protective walls stable, as shared by the city. However, the Danube water level (Danube gauge Eiserne Brücke 14.45 p.m.: 5.97 meters) and the groundwater level haven't vanished quickly. On Friday afternoon, residents of Werftstraße were allowed back into their homes, but the street remained off-limits to cars and bicycles for now.
Near Regensburg's Old Town, there was mainly a sense of regular life. Folks and tourists seemed used to the barriers and protective walls. In the sunshine, many people enjoyed street cafes or strolled over the Stone Bridge, listening to the raging brown Danube water. The Historical Sausage Kitchen, a famous tourist destination, remained closed.
Regensburg city officials urged citizens to employ common sense: Dikes are "not a party zone". At times, citizens made more tasks for the emergency services by behaving recklessly in flood zones, like using canoes.
Approximately 45 kilometers downstream, in Straubing, the measures were still in place. The city administration kept citizens alerted about the high groundwater level and the need for vigilance. "High groundwater can cause water seepage into basement rooms," they stated.
From Deggendorf district, district administrator Bernd Sibler (CSU) shared that the dikes were stable with a burning-down flood wave on Wednesday. The local politician sought to remind citizens: Dikes aren't entertainment zones. Inebriated citizens created more work for the emergency teams by engaging in risky activities, such as boating through flooded areas.
In Passau, further downstream, the Danube and Inn water levels were also falling at high levels. Mayor Jürgen Dupper (SPD) peered to the future: "The coming days are about clean-up efforts." Yet, he asked for patience. Schools and kindergartens in the city's Old Town reopened this Thursday.
Railway traffic was getting back to normalcy, as long-distance trains resumed operations on significant railway lines in Bavaria. According to the rail system's current status update, there were no flood-related limitations on the Ulm-Augsburg-Munich and Donauwörth-Augsburg lines on Thursday.
A search for a firefighter who flipped over with his boat while performing a rescue operation in Offingen on Sunday and subsequently went missing was ongoing in Swabia. Two people were also reported missing on Thursday, added a representative of the Interior Ministry. At least six people were confirmed dead in the South German floods - four of them in Bavaria.
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The Interior Ministry's update mentioned three missing individuals in affected districts like Swabia and Upper Bavaria. The German Weather Service (DWD) announced potential rain in southern Bavaria from Saturday evening until Monday morning, as shared by Dirk Mewes with the German Press Agency. The Danube gauge Eiserne Brücke recorded a water level of 5.97 meters at 14.45 p.m. in Regensburg. Citizens in Regensburg's Old Town resumed their daily activities despite the barriers and protective walls. The city administration in Straubing reminded citizens about the need for vigilance due to high groundwater levels. Bernd Sibler, the district administrator from Deggendorf district, urged caution about dikes not being entertainment zones. The oral search for a missing firefighter in Swabia continued, adding to the total of six confirmed fatalities due to the South German floods.
