Thousands of people were evacuated over the weekend and even more are about to leave their homes as southern Germany was ravaged by severe flooding that left one emergency worker dead and at least one person missing on Sunday evening.
Several villages along the Danube and Schmutter rivers were evacuated on Sunday evening when an official pointed out concerns about a dam.
Those affected were told to remain calm, pack the necessary items and follow the instructions of emergency services.
Heavy rains and flooding in two states caused disruptions throughout the weekend and more rain was expected, the weather service said.
Further flooding was expected near Lake Constance after a river burst its banks, flooding local streets.
Tens of thousands of emergency services have been in constant action since Friday evening, especially in Upper Bavaria and Swabia, building sandbag dams, pumping water, closing off danger zones and rescuing people from flooded houses.
One firefighter died, another was missing on Sunday evening, as was a woman.
Meanwhile, people on the Danube are preparing for the impending flood wave and transport rescue services were lining up rescue helicopters equipped with winches, a spokesperson for the ADAC air rescue service said.
In total, at least 40,000 aid workers have taken part in rescue efforts since Friday, with the German military also stepping in to help as the region’s rivers continued to widen.
A firefighter died last night after his rubber boat capsized in the Bavarian town of Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, about 40 kilometers north of Munich.
His three colleagues in the boat were able to get to safety, but the firefighter’s body was found early Sunday morning, local authorities said.
The emergency workers were on their way to rescue a family in the heavily flooded area. No details are known about what happened to the family.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz expressed his condolences on the social media platform
Scholz will visit the region on Monday. On Sunday, several lawmakers traveled to the affected areas, including Vice Chancellor Robert Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder and Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann.
Söder and others paid tribute to the people who struggled with the high water and the help and support shown. “Together we will get through this,” he wrote on X.
He and Habeck said they were shocked by the firefighter’s death. “It’s terrible. He died trying to save people from the floods,” Habeck said.
An energy company employee was seriously injured after receiving an electric shock in Freising, Upper Bavaria, police said.
There were also concerns about several people missing due to the extreme rainfall.
So far, about 3,000 people in Bavaria have been evacuated from flooded areas, an Interior Ministry spokeswoman said on Sunday.
A fire brigade spokesman said the flooding in the region was unpredictable and the most extreme yet.
Earlier, the German Meteorological Service (DWD) said some regions in southern Germany recorded more than a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.
Kisslegg in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg recorded 130 millimeters of rain on Friday alone, the DWD reported. The region normally reports 118 millimeters per month at this time of year.
In the Bavarian Bad Wörishofen, 129 millimeters fell within 24 hours, compared to a monthly average of 101 millimeters.
More heavy rainfall is forecast. The DWD warned of extreme amounts of rain, especially in southern Germany.
