Significant damage in central Thuringia
The municipality of Gebstedt (Weimarer Land) is also particularly affected. According to the information, many roofs were covered there. Fallen trees blocked the driveways. Some of the fire brigades had to drive to Gebstedt on dirt roads, according to the rescue control center in Apolda. The storm left damage not only in Gebstedt, but also in an aisle between Weimar-Nord and Eckartsberga (Saxony-Anhalt).
According to the police, the storm also caused considerable damage in Bad Sulza. A large number of trees fell, roofs were covered and other storm-related damage was caused. Especially private houses and farms are affected. The extent of the damage is not yet foreseeable.
Man struck by lightning in Weimarer Land
In Buttelstedt (Weimarer Land) a mudslide ran through a house. As the mayor of the rural community Am Ettersberg, Thomas Hess MDR THÜRINGEN said, there were also mudslides in Heichelheim and Stedten. According to him, a man was struck indirectly by lightning in Sachsenhausen. He was standing in a barn when lightning struck the building. The man was taken to the hospital with symptoms of paralysis and cardiac arrhythmia.
There was no electricity in Sachsenhausen for several hours on Tuesday because trees fell on the lines. Water inlets are cleaned by the fire brigades. Cellars and barns were flooded in almost every village in the rural community.
Rudersdorf (district of Sömma) was without electricity for two hours on Tuesday evening. According to the rural community of Buttstädt, the storm had covered several roofs of houses and barns. 50 firefighters were on duty. Mayor Hendrik Blose said after an initial analysis MDR THÜRINGEN that only Rudersdorf had been hit badly in the rural community.
Tree fell on car – woman trapped
In Georgenthal and in Tambach-Dietharz (Gotha district), people are talking about a hurricane. A spokesman for the fire brigade told MDR THÜRINGEN that you could no longer see your hand in front of your face. In some places in Georgenthal the water was up to 40 centimeters high. How many trees have fallen on houses, cars and roads cannot be counted on Wednesday morning.
According to the district office in Gotha, 120 firefighters were deployed. Between Georgenthal and Nauendorf, a woman was trapped in the car by a fallen tree. Emergency services freed her from the car. She came to the hospital. It is unclear whether she is seriously injured. There was also a gas leak in Tambach-Dietharz in connection with the storm. According to Mayor Marko Schütz, the damage could be repaired on Tuesday.
Tank truck overturned on A4
The Autobahn 4 in the direction of Frankfurt was temporarily closed after an accident with a tanker truck late Tuesday afternoon. According to police, the driver lost control of the trailer. This broke out in heavy rain, pulled the entire semi-trailer truck to the left, crashed into the central barrier and then tipped over on its side. The driver was slightly injured. He is now being investigated. A breath alcohol test showed a value of 0.75 per thousand.
According to the police, 27,000 liters of glycerin were loaded in the tank trailer. The tank was so badly damaged in the accident that the contents were spread across all three lanes. In addition, fuel leaked. The accident site was initially closed completely.
Trains diverted between Erfurt and Halle
The ICE trains between Erfurt and Halle have been running on the normal route again since Wednesday afternoon. As a spokesman for the railways announced, they had been diverted via Weimar and Naumburg from Tuesday evening due to a defective signal box. Passengers had to expect a delay of around 30 minutes. A lightning strike had therefore caused the damage to the signal box.
DWD again warns of heavy rain and gusts of wind
It’s supposed to be loud on Wednesday German Weather Service (DWD) initially remain dry – however, the calm does not last long: From the afternoon and evening, showers and thunderstorms are expected, local storms with heavy rain, gusty winds and hail are expected. The clouds will also change on Thursday night and there will be heavy showers and thunderstorms, some of which will be severe. According to the DWD, local storms are also possible again on Thursday.
Storm gusts measured over central and eastern Thuringia
According to the MDR weather studio, the strongest gusts of wind passed through central and eastern Thuringia on Tuesday. They raged most violently in Erfurt. Wind speeds of up to 90 km/h were measured there. Up to 19.2 liters of rain per square meter fell within a very short time.
In addition to Erfurt, the thunderstorms were also particularly violent in Hermsdorf in the Saale-Holzland district and in Zeutsch in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district. There, 17 liters of rain per square meter fell during the storm.