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WEATHER

Town ravaged by floods tries to pick up the pieces

July 2nd should have been the start of a new life for Anna Kluchan and her husband. It was the day in which the couple were supposed to move into their new home in the centre of Simbach, Bavaria.

Town ravaged by floods tries to pick up the pieces
Rebuilding in Simbach. Photo: DPA

For years the couple had lovingly restored the house in the centre of the small town on the Austrian border.

In the lower floor they had set up their business, upstairs was the living area.

But a couple of days before the date that everything was supposed to fall into place Anna can see nothing but ruins.

The flood that hit the small Bavarian town on June 1st ripped apart everything she owned, and with it her future and her dreams.

After torrential rain struck the area, and a river broke its banks, floods devastated the town.

Seven people died in the region, while 13 were killed in the whole of southern Germany.

“We renovated that place for two years. Every free minute we had we put into it. And now just as everything was ready, the whole thing has gone down the plug hole,” she says, before adding hopelessly: “We don’t have the strength to build it up again.”

SEE ALSO: 10 pictures that capture the tragedy of the floods

When the flood came Anna was at the graveyard with her husband.

“It was the anniversary of my mother-in-law’s death.”

On the radio they heard what had happened in Simbach. But they couldn’t get through to their house, let alone save anything.

“Everything was swept away and spewed out across the town.”

The couple are waiting for help from the state now.

“It’ll take a while to regain our strength,” Anna says, looking down the street where restaurants and shops used to stand.

“Our shopping street is a ghost town now,” she observes.

Everywhere you look are piles of rubbish. Builders in protective clothing struggle through the houses and pull the plaster from the walls.

On every street corner are diggers and lorries. All around the whirr of fans can be heard which are supposed to dry out the walls.

Signs hang from some houses which read “No Entrance – Risk of Death”.

Seven houses in the town are in danger of collapsing. Others have already been torn down. Four hundred houses are still uninhabitable or only partly inhabitable.

Authorities have already paid out €11 million in emergency aid.

One of the few good pieces of news is that water and electricity have been reconnected – for the most part.

Thirty houses still don't have running water. Shuttle buses take their owners free of charge to shower at the local swimming pool in the evenings.

“The variety of responses has been huge. Some people have been showing a can-do attitude, others seem lifeless, others still are full of doubts,” says Herbert Wiedemann from the Bavarian Red Cross.

“These are dramatic and highly traumatizing situations.”

“Houses can be rebuilt – minds and souls take longer.”

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WEATHER

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

The moment many people around Germany have been waiting for is almost here: as of Thursday, temperatures are expected to crack the 20C mark and stay warm through the start of spring.

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

Whether it’s the pink cherry blossom trees which have started to bloom, lighter evenings or people walking around with ice cream cones, the signs of springs have already started to show around Germany in March.

Now the weather is also catching up: following rain storms on Wednesday, the mercury is expected to reach at least 20C in many parts of the Bundesrepublik on Thursday. 

READ ALSO: Seven signs that Spring has arrived in Germany

First there’s some damper news: On Wednesday, Germany – in particular the southwest – is expected to be hit by the storms. In the Black Forest, 30 to 40 litres per square metre will fall by midday, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

In the Alps, light snowfall will set in above 1,000 to 1,200 metres, with fresh snowfall of around five centimetres expected. 

The rain will ease by the following morning, but it will remain cloudy.

Up to 21C on Thursday

On Thursday, after the morning the fog disappears, people can look forward to a sunny and dry day – especially in the south and western parts of Germany. 

Temperatures will rise to a pleasant 14 to 21C degrees, with the highest values on the Upper Rhine. 

In mountainous areas and by the sea, it will remain somewhat cooler at 10C to 14C. 

Friday will be characterised by changeable weather: there will be sunny spells as well as rain showers, which will spread from the west and may be heavy in places – including thunderstorms. 

Temperatures will be between 14C and 18C degrees, and in the Lausitz region in eastern Germany it could even reach a warm 20 degrees.

Warmer weeks

While this Sunday could still see some single digit temperatures in northern parts of Germany – such as 9C in Berlin and Hamburg – the coming week is set to experience continually warmer weather, remaining at 14C and higher. 

The first day of spring officially begins this year with the Spring Equinox on March 19th. The days will become even lighter in Germany after Daylight Savings Time, which this year takes place in the early hours of Easter Sunday, or March 31st.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in March 2024

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