more than 100 liters per square meter per day

The fall of more than 100 liters per square meter per day since Friday due to the storm Quirina has caused unprecedented floods in some parts of southern Germany in a century.

The continuous waterspout is causing havoc in several locations in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Württembergwhere he had to declare himself the state of emergency in the face of extensive material damage.

Flooded homes, flooded roads, overflowing rivers and thousands of evacuated residents are part of the desolate balance of these intense rains that, for the moment, have taken their toll the life of at least one person and have caused the derailment of a train.

Estimates from the German Meteorological Service (DWD) place the amount of rainfall in five locations in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg at more than 100 liters per square meter per day, with peaks of up to 128 liters per square meter in places like Sigmarszell. A situation that is not expected to improve at least this Sunday, since heavy rainfall is expected to continue during the next few hours.

Meteorological expert Jörg Kachelmann, in statements reported by the weekly Spigel, has warned that many streams and rivers in the southwest are expected to the waters reach their highest level in the last 50 or even 100 years.

Many districts in these two states have decreed the maximum alarm level Given the effects of the storm and the municipal authorities of certain places have asked residents to avoid basements or to sleep if they can in other locations.

The rescue services had to employ helicopters to evacuate some people who had been isolated by the waters in their own homes.

In Meckenbeueren (Baden-Württemberg), the City Council this Saturday night asked 1,300 residents to stay in the homes of relatives or friends or in spaces designated for this purpose to avoid spending the night in their homes, while livestock farmers have been urged to transfer their animals.

Also in Fischach (Bavaria), the authorities issued an order advising people to urgently leave their homes and avoid underground car parks and basements.

Other municipalities such as Zell or Dirlewang are also urging residents to leave their homes, for the moment voluntarily, as the water level is exceeding the dikes installed to contain it.

The Minister of the Interior, Nancy Faeser, has asked citizens of the affected localities through social networks to “take any warning messages” from emergency teams absolutely seriously, adding that compliance could save lives.

A firefighter dies and a train derails

For now, only one fatality has been recorded because of these heavy rainfalls. A 42-year-old firefighter died Saturday when the rescue boat in which he was traveling in search of neighbors trapped in the town of Pfaffenhofen, next to the Ilm River, in the Bavaria region, according to the German news agency Dpa.

On the other hand, a long distance train derailed near the city of Schwaebisch Gmund, about 50 kilometers east of Stuttgart (Baden-Württemberg) Saturday night, when the dirt under a stretch of track slid. The 185 passengers on board escaped unharmed.

The German railway operator Deutsche Bahn warned of multiple cancellations and delays in the event this Sunday and asked its clients to postpone their trips as much as possible. Rail traffic is affected on routes leaving Munich to Berlin, Stuttgart and the Swiss city of Zurich, among others.

The German Economy Minister and Vice-Chancellor, Robert HabeckHas promised support to affected regions during a visit this Sunday to affected populations in Bra and stressed that climate change is causing increasingly severe weather events.

“Natural disasters have always accompanied humanity. What we are seeing is that the frequency of these events is increasing significantly. Record floods occur every few years… record rainfall every few years,” the minister told the public broadcaster. n-tv.

Habeck, of the Green Party, has been sounding the alarm for years about the increase in natural disasters caused by climate change and global warming.

Just two weeks ago the southwest of the country was also affected by floods and landslides which caused considerable material damage and the death of a woman.

In July 2021Europe suffered major floods that left almost 200 dead and extensive material damage. Germany was the most affected country.