Two southern highways suffer from flooding.
Due to heavy rains in South Germany, water levels are causing traffic disruptions in the affected areas. Partial closures on the A9 motorway in Upper Bavaria and A8 towards Munich have been reported. Shipping on the Upper Rhine has been temporarily halted, while the railway line near Schwaebisch Gmuend has been partially restored but operates at low speeds.
In response to the drastic rise in water levels over the past few days, traffic on the motorways has been severely affected. Autobahn GmbH announced that the A9 in Upper Bavaria is partially blocked, with notable sections affected between Ingolstadt-South and Langenbruck in both directions, and between Pfaffenhofen and Autobahn junction Neufahrn. To avoid these areas, motorists are advised to find alternative routes. Restrictions due to flooding have also taken place on A8 in the direction of Munich in the Sulzemoos area.
Lanes have become submerged due to the flood, according to the police, marking a new experience for the law enforcement officials in the area. Power outages have caused disruptions, with a large number of people impacted. The district administration has requested residents of towns like Reichertshofen, Baar-Ebenhausen, and Manching to move to higher floors in their houses or apartments.
Following a landslide, the railway line near Schwaebisch Gmuend is now single-track operational but can only handle low-speed trains. The situation led to an incident where an ICE train carrying 185 passengers derailed on Saturday evening. While cleanup operations are ongoing, the ICE has been placed back on the tracks and is waiting to be transported away. It remains unclear for how long the closure will last. Fortunately, the passengers escaped unharmed and were evacuated from the train overnight on Sunday. Schwaebisch Gmuend is roughly 50 kilometers east of Stuttgart.
Additional delays have been reported in long-distance rail services by the German Railways (DB), caused by damage to the railway line between Hanover and Hamburg. The railway spokeswoman confirmed that trains are experiencing delays of approximately 20 minutes. Trains traveling with stops along the affected route are allowed to pass at a speed of 40 km/h, while those without stops are being redirected via Rotenburg.
Work to repair the track bed, including the gravel base and rails affected by Friday's downpour, continues in the area, with no timeframe for completion provided. According to previous reports, the heavy rain damaged the track bed between Eschede and Unterluss (Celle district).
Due to the increase in river levels along the Rhine, shipping has been partially suspended on the Upper Rhine near Karlsruhe since Saturday, according to the Rhineland-Palatinate High Water Forecast Center. The water level at Maximiliansau reached the critical shipping water mark II of 7.50 meters on Saturday evening and increased to 8.20 meters by Sunday afternoon. It's expected to decrease overnight, but further upstream water level increases are likely in the coming days, potentially endangering shipping on the vital waterway.
Predicted water levels include a loss of 6.50 meters at the Mannheim gauge on Sunday morning, which may increase to 8.10 to 8.40 meters by Monday morning. A similar situation is anticipated at the Worms gauges, where shipping may be temporarily suspended in Mainz.
Severe flooding is also expected on the Middle and Lower Rhine in the coming days, raising concerns about potential threats to shipping on this vital waterway. The Koblenz gauge is forecasted to reach about 6.10 meters on Tuesday, at which point ships may not be able to sail when reaching a level of 6.50 meters. On Wednesday, the highest levels are expected in Cologne and Düsseldorf, with all developments depending on the remaining rainfall amounts.
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The International Red Cross has deployed teams to aid affected communities in Baden-Württemberg, as the ongoing floods continue to cause significant damage. The floodwaters have also impacted shipping on the Danube, with several vessels being temporarily moored in nearby ports. In an effort to alleviate traffic congestion, some long-distance train services have been rerouted through neighboring Bavaria.
