Several regions in Germany experienced heavy rain on Saturday. In Eastern Saxony, there was more than 100 liters of precipitation per square meter. To the south, the Oberbaern region of Bavaria was hit hard. The situation is also tragic in Hallen, Austria.
Heavy rain turned a stream into a raging torrent in Austria, inundating parts of downtown Hallen. Video images circulated on social media show that a flood engulfed the city near Salzburg.
Photo: AFP
Photo: Reuters
“The situation is very critical,” the police said. Residents were warned of the expected harsh conditions and advised not to sit in the basement. Fire brigades evacuated people from homes using boats and trucks.
At the end of Saturday evening, there were no reports of missing, injured or dead people, according to the fire service. Authorities said the water level has since fallen.
In Germany, after the west of the country, it is now the turn of the East. In Saxony, Germany, many places are no longer accessible: Neustadt, Spenitz, Bad Schandau, Reinhardtsdorf-Schoena and Goerich, which have been hit hard.
Residents have to stay out of basements, underground garages, and the subway. Alert level 4 has been exceeded on the river Polenz near Neustadt. In the lower parts of the Kerenitzsch, Spenitz and Lachsbach rivers, there is a “sharp rise in the water level”. Severe flooding is expected.
Oberbayern was also hit hard. Evacuated homes, landslides, flooded streets and submerged basements have occurred since Saturday night. The fire brigade is busy. Emergency services in the area around Traunstein say the situation is “tragic”.
The southernmost cities of Berchtesgaden and Bischofsuisen, near the border with Austria, were hit particularly hard. Water flows from the mountains and the water level rises sharply at apogee. Homes have already been evacuated due to landslides. Residents are advised to stay out of cellars. Several smaller highways were inundated or closed due to landslides.
Photo: Kilian Pfeiffer/D
