Two individuals saved from submerged tunnel passageway
It's raining heavily in the evening and night, especially in southern Germany. This leads to several dangerous situations, particularly in Nuremberg. The hazardous conditions haven't stopped there. The German Weather Service issued a warning for ongoing rain in the southwest.
In the southern and western parts of Germany, heavy rains have caused streets to flood and prompted numerous emergency responses in several areas. For example, in Nuremberg, the fire department rescued two individuals stuck in their car after it became trapped in a flooded underpass. Under duress, they climbed onto the roof of the vehicle. The pair escaped unharmed when rescue divers pulled them from their predicament on Thursday night, as per the fire department's report.
Shortly after this rescue, the fire department also saved five people trapped in a subway station's elevator. No injuries were reported in this incident either.
Throughout the evening, rain and severe thunderstorms in Nuremberg kept the emergency services active. Many underpasses were impossible to traverse due to the rain. Additionally, numerous cellars, streets, and underground parking lots were inundated. According to the fire department, they received approximately 300 calls in a three-hour window. At their peak, up to 550 firefighters and THW personnel were sent to assist. Additional forces from Fürth and the Nürnberger Land district were also summoned for help.
Flooded underground parking lot
The fire department was called to the Technical University, where a massive underground car park was flooded over two levels, reaching the first floor. They strongly advised against driving through flooded street areas. There could be submerged manholes beneath the water's surface, posing a significant danger to life. Flooded roads and flooded cellars were also reported in other parts of Bavaria, like Dillingen a.d. Donau.
Storms also blew through southwest Germany. Despite fears, the weather-related incidents were relatively limited in this region. In Baden-Württemberg, there were slightly more traffic accidents during the night, according to a police spokesperson. However, no one was injured or killed. Reports of flooded cellars and streets were also confirmed. In Stuttgart, the fire department had to drain the flooded Berger Tunnel. The SWR broadcast reported that cars had to be extracted from the water in Heubach, in the Ostalbkreis district. In Söhnstetten, in the district of Heidenheim, the roads were painted white due to a hailstorm. The emergency services cleared the roads with wheel loaders.
Continuous rain persists
Friday will bring more heavy rainfall. In Saarland, several roads were already shut down on Friday morning due to flooding, and cellars were also inundated. The German Weather Service cautioned about extreme, unrelenting rain in Saarland and parts of Rhineland-Palatinate. The official storm warning remains effective until 6 PM. In Baden-Württemberg, a warning of persistent rain has been issued.
Rain is predicted from the northern Black Forest to the Palatinate and Saarland: Water levels would increase sharply on streams and small rivers, noted ntv meteorologist Björn Alexander. "In Bavaria, rain will shift towards Franconia, degenerating, and from the afternoon, showery thunderstorms will form again from the Alps, as well as from the Eifel and Taunus to the Lower Rhine." Meanwhile, it will be sunny and dry but windy from the Oder to Schleswig-Holstein.
Read also:
- Floods: water levels remain critical in many places
- Snow chaos further restricts Bavaria
- Continuous operation in the flood areas
- Flood situation remains tense in many places
- Despite the ongoing storm warnings, various international organizations and aid groups have mobilized resources to assist affected regions in Bavaria, such as Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate, due to the severe weather conditions.
- In an effort to address the flooding issues, officials from Bavaria collaborated with authorities in neighboring states like Baden-Württemberg and Saarland, organizing a joint operation to manage the situation effectively and ensure the safety of the population.
- As the extreme weather events persisted in southern Germany, the International Red Cross and other organizations provided emergency supplies and assistance to Una Europa University in Bavaria, which had been significantly impacted by the heavy rain and subsequent flooding.
Source: www.ntv.de
