West Germany is struggling with the catastrophic effects of heavy rain.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the Steinbach dam near Euskirchen threatens to break.
Finally evacuated.
Update from July 16, 10:25 a.m.:
While the number of victims of the devastating flood disaster in western Germany continues to rise, the pressure on the Steinbach dam near Euskirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia, which is in danger of collapsing, has apparently decreased.
As Markus Böhm from the crisis management team announced, the water level had dropped late on Thursday evening, for two reasons:
On the one hand, the inflow has decreased, said the managing director of the energy service provider e-regio.
In addition, the technical relief organization pumps water out of the dam near the border with Rhineland-Palatinate.
A controlled discharge via the devices was not possible with the dam after the devastating heavy rain.
An assessment on Friday should provide further information.
Steinbachtalsperre threatened to break - residents of three places evacuated
First report:
Euskirchen - The drastic consequences of the storm catastrophe in West Germany were particularly noticeable in Euskirchen in Westphalia.
Due to a dam that was allegedly in danger of collapsing, residents in three neighboring villages had to leave their homes.
Accordingly, the places Schweinheim, Flamersheim and Palmersheim were evacuated at the Steinbachtalsperre.
The dam was classified as "very unstable" by an expert, said the district administrator of the Euskirchen district, Markus Ramers (SPD), on Thursday of the
dpa
.
A total of 4,500 residents were affected by the evacuation.
The neighboring district of Ahrweiler had previously denied rumors that the dam had already broken.
Steinbachtalsperre: “Unstable” situation - premature panic is followed by evacuation
The false rumor that a dam had already broken had apparently caused a tumult and caused dozens of Heimersheim residents to flee to higher ground because they feared for their lives.
"We heard the tidal wave was coming," they called after the information, and panic quickly spread due to the impending scenario.
The
Ahrweiler district administration then made it clear that there was no question of a dam breach - at least for the time being.
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The Steinbachtalsperre is in danger of breaking: 4,500 residents from three affected locations have been brought to safety.
© Screenshot: ZDF
The district of Euskirchen seems to have been hit hardest by the storm with 15 fatalities so far in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Meanwhile, meteorologist Jan Schenk explains what the current weather situation in Central Germany is all about and what causes it - and thus the development of storm "Bernd":
The number of storm deaths in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia has to be constantly revised upwards.
News ticker on the natural disaster in Germany.
(PF)
List of rubric lists: © Screenshot: ZDF