As a result of a local storm in the center of the city of Reutlingen in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany, the streets were covered with a 30-centimeter layer of hail. The roadway and sidewalks had to be cleared with snow shovels. Tree leaves and hail clogged storm sewers within a few minutes, so garages, basements and residential buildings were flooded in places. Fortunately, no people were hurt.
Approximately 250 professional firefighters and all volunteer fire brigades were called to approximately 100 locations where local residents were unable to eliminate the consequences of natural disasters on their own. The water level in Echase rose by 1.50 meters in five minutes, and the river overflowed its banks for a short time in the area of Betzingen.
Floods in Austria and Slovenia
Heavy rains and floods also hit Austria, where in one region residents from 70 houses were evacuated, and in another some places were cut off from the surrounding area. In the vicinity of Klagenfurt, there was a danger of a dam breaking.
In Slovenia, at least three people have died as a result of heavy rains. Rivers overflowed their banks, flooded roads and bridges. Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob called the incident a disaster. The Slovenian environmental agency Arso has issued the highest warning level for the storm. These floods could be the worst since Slovenia regained its independence in 1991. “Floods are catastrophic. We ask for all possible assistance,” Golob said, urging people to leave their homes only in case of an emergency.
