Europe's news in English

COPY LINK

WEATHER

Baden-Württemberg storm flooding kills 3

At least three people are dead and several injured after severe weather overnight in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, police said on Tuesday morning.

Published: 3 June 2008 08:28 CEST

Baden-Württemberg storm flooding kills 3

A rescue worker in Hechingen early on Tuesday. Photo: DPA

The town of Hechingen in the Zollernalbkreis district was hit hardest, with at least 10 residents hospitalized for injuries, district administrator Matthias Frankenberg told broadcaster ZDF.

Waterways in Killertal also have “immense damage,” the state’s interior minister Heribert Rech said.

Police in Balingen reported that a woman in Jungingen drowned in her car when it was suddenly overcome with water. Her passenger was at first reported missing, but officials found her body on Tuesday morning.

Another woman drowned in her cellar when it flooded unexpectedly.

In Upper Swabia a semi-truck driver was severely injured after hitting a fallen tree.

Many houses have been damaged by the storm flooding, said Zollernalbkreis regional administrator Günther-Martin Paul. Officials have yet to estimate how many residents will be able to return to their homes.

Streets remain closed after sections washed away in the floods. More than one hundred rescue vehicles and 550 fire department workers are in the area for clean up.

More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Major storms hit western Germany on Thursday, causing travel disruption and flooding.

In parts of Baden-Württemberg, streets were flooded and rivers swelled. Bisingen, southwest of Tübingen, was particularly hard hit, with cellars and streets plunged under water.

Police said there was also traffic disruption. In Baden-Württemberg’s state capital Stuttgart, severe storms and lightning caused issues and some roads were closed.

A lightning strike in the Sigmaringen area resulted in a broken signal box on the railway line. According to Deutsche Bahn, no train journeys were possible in the region in the early evening with several delays and cancellations.

Other states were also affected.

There were around 300 relief operations in the Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate, which was hit by the 2021 deadly flood disaster.

Police said no-on was injured, although basements and streets were flooded. The water levels of the Ahr were being closely monitored.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Silas Stein

In Trier, too, streets were flooded after heavy rain and there were hailstorms. The Koblenz police headquarters reported fallen trees. Significant property damage due to full cellars and flooded streets was also reported in some areas.

Heavy showers also fell in Hesse, accompanied by thunder storms. In Frankfurt, according to the fire department, the heavy rain caused water to enter the Bethanien Hospital and even reach the intensive care unit of the clinic.

“We were able to contain the damage relatively quickly and prevent it from spreading,” said fire department spokesman Thorben Schemmel, adding that no patients were affected.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Eifel region was particularly affected, with reports of flooded streets after heavy rain and hailstorms.

North Rhine-Westphalia also saw storms late in the afternoon on Thursday.

The German Weather Service (DWD) said it expected some heavy rain and hail in parts of the country on Friday – particularly in the west – and at the weekend but warnings of severe weather have been lifted.

The DWD said there could still be one or two strong thunderstorms in the northeast on Friday. However, it will be a significantly quieter day compared to Thursday. Temperatures of up to 25C can be expected.

Url copied to clipboard!