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WEATHER

German floods death toll hits 180, with 150 still missing

The latest death toll from floods that hit western Germany this month stands at 180, with about 150 still missing, authorities said on Friday.

Published: 24 July 2021 11:15 CEST
German floods death toll hits 180, with 150 still missing
Military personnel (L) look on the destroyed building of a country guest house in Laach, part of the municipality of Mayschoß, district of Ahrweiler, western Germany, on July 23rd, 2021, a week after heavy rain and floods caused major damage in the Ahr region. CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

With more rain forecast this weekend, German meteorological services called for vigilance.

READ ALSO: WEATHER: German flood zones at risk of further storms

In the Rhineland-Palatinate region, which was the worst hit by the storms, 132 are now confirmed dead and 766 injured, according to police.

While there are still 149 people missing in the region, “we do not assume that the final number of deaths will increase by that much”, said Roger Lewentz, the state interior minister, adding that the list included people on holiday.

The police are searching with the help of helicopters and about 30 sniffer dogs.

“I have no way of knowing if we will be able to find all the dead,” Lewentz said.

In the neighbouring region of North Rhine-Westphalia, 47 people died.

Cologne police said they were looking for two people who were missing or could not be reached.

One person also died in Bavaria, while Belgium accounted for 36 deaths, taking the total toll in Europe to 216.

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FLOODS

Floods easing in Germany’s Saarland but situation remains serious

Enormous amounts of rain in Saarland and neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate on Friday and Saturday night caused flooding and landslides, but water levels were slowly retreating on Sunday making the extent of the damage more visible.

Published: 19 May 2024 14:04 CEST
Floods easing in Germany's Saarland but situation remains serious

“The flood situation is continuing to ease,” the Saarland Ministry of the Interior said in a post on Facebook on Saturday night, adding that there were still a few focal points where emergency forces were still working. 

“It is simply too early for both clean-up work and assessments of the damage,” a spokeswoman for the Trier-Saarburg district told German news agency DPA. Drones have now been requested to get an overview of the extent of the damage from above.

The Saarland state capital Saarbrücken, the disaster control authority, has lifted the emergency situation put in place in response to the severe floods. Urgent rescue and safety measures have been completed and the water levels have continued to decline, the city’s press office said on Saturday evening.

But the damage caused by the rain and subsequent flooding was extensive.

In the state capital Saarbrücken, the city motorway was under water and had to be closed, a coal-fired power plant in Saarland was also flooded, and several people across the state had to be evacuated. In Rußhütte, a district of Saarbrücken, evacuees were brought to safety by amphibious vehicles and boats. 

READ ALSO: Germany cleans up after massive flooding in state of Saarland

There was also flooding in neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate – cellars and streets both there and in Saarland were flooded and many smaller streams and rivers burst their banks.

Rail traffic also came to a temporary standstill, but resumed on Saturday and most of the closed roads have also reopened.

Despite the enormous volumes of water – the weather service measured more than 100 litres of rain per square meter in less than 24 hours in some places – there were no deaths and very few injuries.

“There are currently reports of one injured person,” said the spokesman. They had an accident during a rescue operation and had to be resuscitated. “The person is being treated in hospital; reports on their status are currently unknown.”

On Saturday, Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Saarland Minister-President Anke Rehlinger visited the area. Wearing Wellington boots, the two SPD politicians spoke to those affected, including in the village of Kleinblittersdorf.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) meanwhile promised help: “The government is supporting Saarland in particular with strong forces to protect human lives after the severe floods and limit the destruction caused by the water as far as possible,” she said.

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