Ravensburg/Günzburg
There is concern on Saturday: severe flooding could occur in many communities along the rivers in southern Germany, which have been hit by persistent rain. Looking ahead, some municipalities have asked their citizens to avoid basements or even sleep elsewhere for a few days. A neighborhood is in disaster mode as a precaution.
The focus was on the Lake Constance region: Due to the acute flood risk, around 1,300 people in Meckenbeuren, Baden-Württemberg, are advised to leave their homes. It is not an evacuation, but a recommendation, according to a spokeswoman for the community in Upper Swabia. According to the announcement, extreme flooding was expected to occur, especially on the Schussen River.
The Fire brigade According to the information, the affected residents have announced with announcements who will have to stay with family or friends in the coming nights. Alternatively, there are shelters.
Under no circumstances should you sleep in the basement
“We still hope that the weather situation will ease somewhat and that flood levels will be less dramatic than predicted,” Mayor Georg Schellinger said, the statement said. “Tonight we may exceed the peak level of previous flooding in Schussen. That’s why we started the evacuation today. We want people to be able to calmly adapt to the challenging situation, pack their things and perhaps stay with friends – and not be torn out of bed at night.”
Not far from Weingarten near Ravensburg, residents of large parts of the city should avoid the basement floors and under no circumstances sleep in the basement. The fire brigade recently issued this advice. They were also advised to ideally stay overnight with family and friends outside areas at risk from rising water levels.
“Unfortunately, it is currently unclear how quickly levels will rise over time. Therefore, special caution is required!”, according to the emergency services website. According to the Ravensburg District, it could not be ruled out that individual cities or communities might make evacuation decisions.
Fire brigade and technical assistance organization in continuous operation
In Lindau on Lake Constance, the first streets and underpasses had already been flooded and city bus traffic had to be stopped. fire brigade and technical assistance organization are used continuously, a city spokeswoman said. Residents had to be evacuated from an apartment complex because there was a risk of short circuit due to ingress of water.
Large parts of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria in particular can expect a weekend of heavy, persistent rain. According to the German weather service (DWD) is the highest warning level in many places. Regional rainfall amounts of up to 120 liters per square meter can be achieved.
The Günzburg district declares a disaster as a precaution
A district in Bavaria has already declared a disaster – also as a preventive measure. In the Günzburg region, the aim is to better support the potentially affected cities and communities, the district office said. This requires emergency services from the entire district. Camping and recreational areas on the rivers Günz, Kammel and Mindel must be evacuated – many guests of the Legoland theme park will probably stay here during the Pentecost holidays.
We take the situation very seriously,” said district administrator Hans Reichhart (CSU). “We want to make optimal use of the time we have left until the flood reaches the Günzburg district.” According to the water board office, a flood could occur once in a century in some places.
Pack emergency luggage
Further west on the Danube, for example in Neu-Ulm, and on its tributaries, floods are expected in some places, which statistically only occur every 50 to 100 years and are relatively severe. For example, in the Biberach district, people in affected areas were asked to pay attention to their safety. There is a potential danger to life there. You must prepare emergency luggage.
And to receive timely information, the NINA warning app must be downloaded to the smartphone – set so that an alarm sounds when an evacuation notice arrives. “To do this, the mobile phone must be turned on and not in airplane mode,” the Ravensburg district office emphasized.
Flood risk also in Hesse, risk of storms in the east
Rainfall has also caused river levels to rise in other regions – and further rises are expected. According to the Regional State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology, flooding on the Rhine and Neckar is statistically only possible every 20 years in Hesse.
According to the DWD, people in East Germany should expect a lot of rain, sometimes too much Thunderstorm set. However, the storm is expected to hit Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt less severely than initially feared.
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