Inundation - Two corpses found in flooded region
After several days of drastic scenes like flooded basements, sloshy roads, smashed cars, and muddy waters, the rescue teams have regained control over most of the waterlogged regions in the southwest. Nevertheless, at least two individuals didn't survive the heavy water masses of the recent days. Their bodies were found on Monday in Schorndorf, Rems-Murr district, during pumping operations in a house. Earlier, two more deaths happened in Bavaria.
The scenario along the rivers, particularly around the state capital, is gradually calming down. In Stuttgart, little streams gushed through various places on Monday like flashing streams. Yet, with exception to Upper Swabia and Allgäu, the authorities have provided more optimistic remarks throughout the day. Warnings are being removed, and hundreds of people have gone back to their homes. Nevertheless, they have not survived - once the water subsides, there are mainly mud, vast damages, and a ton of work left.
Interior Minister Strobl: "Hang in there"
Despite persistent days of heavy rainfall and flooding, the flood situation was still a hard nut to crack in the vicinity of Stuttgart, as well as Upper Swabia, and Allgäu on Monday. Rems and Murr, and Ostalbkreis bore the brunt of it, yet the authorities issued optimistic reports throughout the day. Inside Minister Thomas Strobl (CDU) described the flood situation in the state as "tense statically." When visiting Meckenbeuren (Bodenseekreis), which had been severely affected, he said, "We have to keep pushing and persevere."
In the evening, Strobl also planned to gain knowledge about the current state of affairs in Ebersbach an der Fils and interact with rescue teams. Ebersbach had coped with damaging floods as per the Interior Ministry.
In line with the words of Baden-Württemberg's Prime Minister Winfried Kretschmann, people in the southwest must acclimate to more frequent flood incidents. "We will have to get used to this happening more often," said the Green leader during a visit to Meckenbeuren. This is an effect of climate change. Compared to Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg escaped with minor injuries.
Warnings lifted at Rems and Murr
Despite the two deaths - a man and a woman, as reported by the Aalen police presidium - several warnings were lifted, for instance, in Rems-Murr district. The integrated control center reported fretting that retention basins were being emptied slowly and meticulously. On Sunday night, the district had issued a so-called preliminary stage of disaster warning alarm due to excessive rainfall. This allowed officials to plan for and deploy helpers of the disaster control.
"After us come two perilous days of floods and torrential rain that have left damage in the district," said District Administrator Richard Sigel. He refers to catastrophic destruction. Due to the cleanup work, the disaster warning alarm will persist.
In Rudersberg, a caution was lifted as well. There, rain had caused damage. In photographs, mud clusters, desperate neighbors in rubber boots, and cars weighing tons could be seen, being tossed around like toy cars. Multiple landed on railway tracks, one on a well. Muddy roads had household goods.
The Schorndorf's mayor, Bernd Hornikel, shares stories of chaotic scenes from the flooding in his region. The water levels rose so fast that firemen had to rescue themselves, he recounted in Rudersberg. All seven departments of the fire brigade had responded, yet only one truck arrived, while the others were trapped in the water masses. The firefighters took shelter on the truck's roof to be saved by others.
Noise barrier holds back water masses
In Ebersbach an der Fils (Göppingen district) southwest of Stuttgart, the water masses breached a noise barrier on the B10 and flooded the roads. In Ostalbkreis, the flood situation got worse in the morning. People were cautioned to leave parts of the communities of Leinzell, Heuchlingen, and Göggingen, expecting them to flood overnight, as a spokeswoman for the crisis management team shared. Täferrot was also evacuated temporarily. Later, the crisis management team downgraded the flood situation from an extreme event to a once-a-century occurrence. While there's no more caution, the situation remains critical. "This is a clear indication of improvement," the spokeswoman attested.
Similarly, in the neighboring Ludwigsburg district, the experts had initially foreseen further surges of water levels on the Rems and Murr. "The water levels are dropping," they stated at the district administration. Two nursing homes in Steinheim an der Murr were evacuated earlier.
In Esslingen am Neckar, a makeshift dam had prevented flooding in parts of the old town. According to reports, around 1,500 tons of rocks and sand piled up next to the so-called Water House on a canal overnight and on Monday morning to construct this dam. It's tightly made, the town relayed.
In railway transportation, additional constraints and cancellations persist. Trains failed to reach Munich from Stuttgart, for example. Trains from Mannheim or Frankfurt ended up in Stuttgart, as stated by a representative of the railway. Voyagers are encouraged to avoid trips to the afflicted flood zones in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg and delay gratuitous outings, she advised. Passengers should also anticipate that the trains still in operation will be extremely crowded.
Downpours limited to Upper Swabia and Allgäu
If forecasters anticipate enduring precipitation in Upper Swabia and storms or hurricanes in Allgäu, the sun is breaking through more frequently in the other areas of Baden-Württemberg, according to the German Meteorological Service. "It will predominantly remain dry, with sunlight even during the day," said a DWD expert on Monday. This also applies to the regions around Stuttgart, which have been most severely impacted by the floods.
