Günzburg receives assistance from Red Cross water rescuers at 02:25.

The Red Cross responds by sending water rescue teams to Günzburg.

The Bavarian Red Cross is sending water rescue teams from Unterfranken to assist in Schwaben. The water rescue team will be deployed in the heavily affected district of Günzburg, as announced in the evening. The rescue forces of the water police from all over Unterfranken are specially trained for flood rescue operations, including two boat and diving teams. Multiple bodies of water in the Swabian district of Günzburg have reached the levels of a 100-year flood. This means a flood that occurs or exceeds statistically once a century.

1:27 Schwaebisch Gmuend: ICE Freight Cars Derail after Landslide

Two freight cars of an ICE train with 185 passengers on board derailed in the Baden-Wuerttemberg city of Schwaebisch Gmuend late at night due to a landslide. Passengers were unharmed and currently being evacuated from the train. A railway spokesperson stated that the first two cars left the tracks around 11:20 p.m., but did not tip over. The landslide was 30 meters wide. The passengers are being relocated to a nearby kindergarten and later taken to Pluederhausen by bus.

12:59 Landslide Hits Car

A landslide hit a car in the Swabian city of Schwaebisch Gmuend, leaving the driver unharmed, according to initial police reports. The landslide took place at a site where the county road and the railway line run parallel. Schwaebisch Gmuend is located about 50 km east of Stuttgart. Heavy rainfall has been occurring in Baden-Wuerttemberg since Friday.

12:54 Neu-Ulm Evades 100-Year Flood

Neu-Ulm estimates it has surpassed the peak of the flood wave on the Danube and Iller, indicating that it avoided a 100-year flood. "We will only be able to accurately assess the potential damage once the situation has normalized again," said Mayor Katrin Albsteiger. Two streets, Danube promenades, and cycle paths along the Danube and Iller are being kept closed for now.

23:44 Munich: Isar Bank Danger

The Munich fire department is warning about potential danger at the Isar riverbank due to the high water levels. It has also closed two popular footpaths along the river. The Isar in Munich has reached level 2, meaning flooding on non-built-up areas or traffic disruptions due to floods on roads.

23:23 Upper Bavaria: 670 People to be Evacuated

Firefighters and rescue services are preparing to evacuate 670 people in Schrobenhausen, Upper Bavaria. Excavators and boats are being used in the Muhlried district and a street along the Weilach river. The citizens can call a special hotline for emergencies. The municipality had previously declared a disaster situation. District Administrator Peter von der Gruen also mentioned the southern part of the Upper Bavarian district as being particularly concerning.

23:03 Multiple Fire Brigade Interventions in Thuringia

Heavy rain and thunderstorms prompted a multitude of fire brigade actions in eastern Thuringia. The Gera control center reported this. The Greiz district's Ronneburg area is particularly affected, with flooded streets, fields, and full basements. A small stream in the Gera district of Liebschwitz has overflowed.

22:45 Relentless Rain in the South - No Warning Yet

Though rainfall has eased somewhat in the South for now, the German Weather Service (DWD) reports, there is still no flood warning. However, new showers and thunderstorms are predicted to develop in the north, which could increase the risk of local flooding on Sunday afternoon. These showers could be quite heavy and long-lasting. "If that hits the already saturated soils, there will be additional flooding," said a DWD meteorologist. The areas most likely to be affected by the Sunday showers and storms are the Swabian Alb, regions to the north of it, and the areas around Augsburg, Nuremberg, Bamberg, and Regensburg.

22:25 Disaster Situation Also in Freising

The district of Freising has also declared a disaster situation due to overflowing rivers and streams. The county administration in the Upper Bavarian municipality notified this in the evening. The Amper and Glonn rivers are threatened with record-breaking water levels. The county administration anticipates a widespread flooding in the town of Hohenkammer, as well as in all settlements along the Amper. Citizens are urged to prepare early for such an extreme situation and, for instance, also empty their cellars. Ten Bavarian districts have now declared a disaster situation.

The Dillingen administration in southern Bavaria has declared a disaster situation due to continuous rainfall. The circumstances around the Zusam, a tributary of the Danube, have taken a turn for the worse according to the authorities. The local crisis team has requested assistance from the Bundeswehr. Experts anticipate a 100-year flood on the small river, potentially affecting nearby towns such as Buttenwiesen and Wertingen. Meanwhile, the officials are planning to release water from the swollen Danube into the Riedstrom, a former natural floodplain of the river. The district administration is also encouraging local farmers to secure their livestock in safe stables.

8:09 PM: Eighth Bavarian commune announces disaster situation
The commune of Neuburg-Schrobenhausen declares a disaster situation, making it the eighth commune in Bavaria. Flooding has been caused by the rising levels of the Danube and its tributaries, the city government of Upper Bavaria has stated. The water management office in Ingolstadt predicts a level 4 gauge for the Danube in Neuburg for the night. The situation is particularly critical at the Paar, one of the Danube tributaries, and the Weilach, which flows into the Paar. The municipality reports that the Weilach has already overflowed in the Schrobenhausen district of Mühldorf, flooding a residential area. Emergency services are attending to evacuating residents, as Landrat Peter von der Grün communicates. The alarming situation predominantly affects the southern part of the district. Von der Grün emphasizes the importance of securing roads, bridges, and paths. "Only then can the fire brigade continue their operations."

8:03 PM: Life-threatening rescue operation: Red Cross uses helicopter to rescue people from roofs
The Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) has airlifted two individuals from the roof of their house in Babenhausen using a helicopter. These people were in imminent danger due to the large water masses, a BRK spokesperson says. Limited access to residences led to some evacuating by inflatable boats. The rescue teams managed to save more than 100 people, including many children.

8:00 PM: People in several nearby Augsburg locations asked to leave their homes
The Augsburg district administration is asking residents in several communities to leave their homes and apartments as a result of the critical flood situation. The worsening situation is anticipated to affect the northern part of the district in the evening. Localities including Babenhausen, Gablingen, Langweid, Eisenbrechtshofen, Biberbach, Allmannshofen, and all of Nordendorf are affected. The government of Swabia has established a temporary shelter at the Augsburg fairgrounds.

7:48 PM: Bundeswehr provides assistance in Bavarian flood areas
Bundeswehr soldiers are working to combat the floods in Bavaria. "The Bundeswehr is providing support to the two districts of Günzburg and Aichach-Friedberg, after both districts filed official requests," says a spokesperson for the Bavarian Army Command to Antenne Bayern radio station. "In Günzburg, blankets and mattresses are being distributed. In the Aichach-Friedberg district, about 50 female and male Bundeswehr soldiers are expected to arrive in the next few hours. Additionally, two Bundeswehr trucks are in use."

7:20 PM: Faeser assures extra support
Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser ensures the regions impacted by flooding in southern Germany of continued assistance. "Due to the heavy, prolonged rain and impending floods, the THW is ready to deploy additional forces nationwide," the SPD politician says in Berlin regarding the THW's emergency response teams. "We will continue to help the affected federal states with all available resources." Faeser mentions that 520 THW personnel are already in action, working on rescuing people, securing dikes, and pumping water out. Faeser also expresses gratitude for all emergency personnel's work. "I would like to thank all the emergency personnel very much for their efforts in battling the water masses and tirelessly saving lives." Individuals in the flood affected regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg should heed instructions and warnings from authorities, Faeser advises. "Please take these warnings very seriously!"

5:58 PM: 29 climbers rescued at Zugspitze

The climbers who were in distress at the Zugspitze (see Live Ticker entry at 3:15 PM) have been saved. The mountain rescue service reports that they have taken 29 individuals to the Gletscherrestaurant Sonnalpin at Zugspitzplatt. Several groups had called for help as they could not advance any further on approximately 2500 meters above sea level, around 900 meters before the Sonnalpin, due to poor weather and new snow. The mountain rescue team and Zugspitzbahn employees were on their way.

5:42 PM: Storm warning for parts of Brandenburg

The German Weather Service (DWD) is issuing a dangerous storm alert for portions of Brandenburg. The alarm level is second highest for the districts of Dahme-Spreewald, Märkisch-Oderland, and Oder-Spree until the evening. Possible dangers include lightning strikes, uprooted trees or power lines, falling objects, rapid road flooding, landslides, or hail.

5:11 PM: Water on the highway - A3 partially closed

A section of the A3 highway in Bavaria near Regensburg is closed in both directions for about ten kilometers between the exits Parsberg and Beratzhausen. The road is flooded, a spokesperson from the Upper Palatinate Police Department claims. "The water is moving towards the motorway." According to the traffic police in Regensburg, the Autobahnmeisterei, fire department, and police are all present on site. The traffic will be diverted, the spokesperson says.

4:51 PM: Prison in Memmingen evacuated

Due to the possibility of a flood, the prison in Memmingen, Bavaria, is being evacuated. This is reported by the news agency Nonstopnews. Up to 150 inmates will be temporarily transferred to Landsberg, Kempten, and Augsburg. The Memminger Ach, a small river that flows directly in front of the prison, has become a torrent and poses a threat to the prison, according to the report. Parts of the courtyard are already submerged. This could result in a power outage, so the prison administration decided on the evacuation. The police arrived with numerous emergency vehicles to facilitate the evacuation. It was eventually necessary to traverse flooded streets to accomplish this, since the access road was already flooded. The fire department was also on hand with pumps to extract water from the prison.

4:35 PM: Torrential rain leads to water levels rising to level 4

The torrential rain is pushing water levels to level 4 at several gauges in Swabia. In Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate, rivers are rapidly swelling. The Neu-Ulm Bad Held (Danube), Hasberg (Mindel), Fleinhausen (Zusam), Fischach (Schmutter), and Föhrenbach (Zusam) have already surpassed level 4, according to the flood warning service (HND). It is expected that Dasing (Paar) will do the same. The Regen in Cham in the Upper Palatinate is also predicted to reach level 4. Centennial floods are reported in Nattenhausen (Günz) and Dasing (Paar).

The Pegel Wiblingen (Iller) is anticipated to attain its peak in stage 3 on Saturday and Sunday, with the water levels already falling below stage 3 in the lower Iller. In the northern Donau tributaries of Wörnitz, Sulzach, Altmuhl, Schwarze Laber, and Naab, there are disparate gauges with surpassed stages 1 and 2 and an increasing tendency in the upper regions. From Neu-Ulm to Kelheim, the water levels are projected to reach stage 3 in the coming days, such as in Gunzburg, Donauwörth, and Neuburg. The Pegel Kelheim is predicted to follow. In the further Donau section to Passau, increases to stages 1 and 2 are anticipated.

4:23 PM: Reason flight operations at Munich Airport continue unabated

While there is heavy rainfall in numerous areas of Bavaria, flight operations at Munich Airport can continue as usual. Not a single flight has been canceled. There are several factors contributing to this. "We notice the water standing in the meadows next to the runways," Robert Wilhelm, an airport spokesperson, informs BR. The airport is also slightly elevated. The runway is also sloped towards the sides, allowing water to run off. Moreover, the runways are "grooved," which hastens the water drainage. Thus, there is currently no risk of aquaplaning, Wilhelm told the Bavarian broadcaster. Munich Airport expects no significant challenges for the rest of the weekend.

4:07 PM: Söder: "Now things are really taking off"

Söder: "Now things are really getting started"

Minister President Markus Söder is assessing the situation in intensely impacted Swabia. He praises the volunteers and officials during his visit to Diedorf in the Augsburg area. Bavaria is well-prepared for crises, states the minister president as Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann watches. The scenario is a "considerable weight" for citizens, informs the minister president. "This is not over yet. Things are about to get started now," he added. Resources, like sandbags, are being funneled to Swabia right now. "We couldn't do it without the helpers," Söder asked the rescue teams such as the fire department, Bavarian Red Cross, police, and Technical Relief Organization. All of them showed remarkable determination. He requested citizens: "Please adhere to the rules." Evacuate orders must be obeyed, not to wander into the cellar or attempt driving the vehicle out of the garage.

4:35 No trains running anymore

The typhoons and flooding in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria are influencing rail traffic. According to Deutsche Bahn, there are disruptions and train cancellations in South Germany. Two ICE lines are notably impacted, a representative confirms. There are no trains between Munich, Bregenz, and Zurich on Saturday due to the flood. The line between Ulm and Augsburg is also affected. Further information on track closures, cancellations, and delay updates can be found on the Bahn website.

4:12 Crisis situation in Unterallgäu - Residents in need should exhibit white cloth

The disaster situation is now applicable in the Bavarian district of Unterallgäu. The area of Babenhausen has damaged mobile phone connectivity. Anyone who requires assistance and is unable to make an emergency call should display a white sheet or fabric from their window to indicate their need for help, the district office states. Babenhausen residents are already being saved from their homes using inflatable boats.

3:57 400 THW personnel in South Germany on the job

Regarding the storms in South Germany, roughly 400 THW (Technical Relief Organization) employees are already active. The THW in Bonn reports this. They're pumping water, safeguarding dams, and evacuating individuals in a precautionary capacity. "Due to the persisting and occasionally heavy rain, the THW is prepared to deploy additional THW personnel." It says, "Track closures, cancellations, and delays can be found on the Bahn website." In the affected territories, mobile flood gauges are being installed and monitored. "Given the upcoming weather forecasts and foreseen floods in the next several hours, the THW is ready to deploy more THW personnel." The teams are on standby throughout Germany. Each rescue squad consists of approximately 40 THW workers who operate three sewage pumps, a generator, an exploration vehicle, and a control center. Every relief squad can pump up to 30,000 liters of water per minute.

3:37 All flood warnings represented on one map

This map shows all current flood warnings. The graphics are updated often. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1t3ZS03qg77f16_e0t0163Dk25Q1199_Y4Jh15u7xZ-5Q095

3:15 Report: 26-member climbing group trapped below Zugspitze

A 26-member mountain climbing party is reportedly stranded several hundred meters below the top of the Zugspitze. According to transmitter BR, 60cm of snow has built up on the Zugspitze over the past few hours while rain persists in the valleys. Frozen temperatures and limited visibility measure about 100m. Several rescue teams have been sent to hunt for the climbers during the snowstorm, as reported by the BR, which cites the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Mountain Rescue Service. The party is said to be exhausted and might not have adequate equipment. It's unknown why they attempted climbing the Zugspitze with the severe weather forecast.

2:52 Donau-Ries district announces disaster situation

The Donau-Ries district in Bavaria has also declared a disaster situation. The purpose of this action is "to pull together all forces and organize ourselves more quickly and effectively for the anticipated water levels," explains District Administrator Stefan Roßle in a release. "It is crucial to maintain calm and, if possible, avoid low-lying areas."

2:20 Dam break near Augsburg - Evacuation plan being implemented

A dam and a dike have broken in the Swabian Augsburg district. The authorities report this. Residents in specific streets of Diedorf need to relocate their homes. Preparations are being made for an evacuation in the Anhausen neighborhood of Diedorf. "It's no longer viable to proceed to higher floors." A dam also breached in Burgwalden, and a dike at the Anhauser Weiher lake collapsed. All residents from the affected areas are instructed to exit their homes instantly and self-evacuate within the following hour to the Diedorf Schmuttertalhalle. The authorities also warn against approaching railway underpasses, as floodwaters could flow there. There's a potential danger to life.

Söder and Herrmann travel to the flood area

Germany's Bavaria region officials, Markus Söder and Joachim Herrmann, are visiting the flood-stricken area in Augsburg's Swabian district on Saturday. They aim to gain firsthand knowledge of the situation in Diedorf, as announced by the Interior Ministry. The district administrator, Martin Sailer, will accompany them. The trip's location was hastily changed due to the flood condition. Previously, the politicians planned to visit nearby Fischach. Currently, Diedorf's residents are preparing for evacuation. The flood situation is critical in Swabia, where water levels are quickly rising. Apart from Augsburg, Günzburg and Aichach-Friedberg districts have recently been declared disaster sites.

The flood level in Meckenbeuren continues to worsen. The Schussen river in Meckenbeuren, Bodenseekreis's town, has reached 4.72 meters, higher than it was during the last flooding in 2021 (4.50 meters). Typically, the river only holds 45 cm of water. On Friday evening, the community advised around 1300 residents to vacate their homes. The majority of them went to stay with friends or family. Very few used the emergency shelter. To prevent potential damage from flooding, schools, kindergartens, and halls were emptied in advance. In the area of 14,000 inhabitants, bridges were closed as a precaution.