Thunderstorms and storms kept emergency services in the Ahrweiler district and the Rhein-Sieg district on their toes on Thursday evening and Friday night. The German Weather Service (DWD) had previously warned of strong thunderstorms of levels two to three (of a total of four) in Bonn and the region. The DWD had predicted hail and heavy rain of up to 25 liters per square meter within a short period of time. The warning app Nina also issued a flood warning for the Rhein-Sieg district, Bonn and the Ahrweiler district. On Friday morning the warning still existed for Rheinbach, Swisttal and Meckenheim. There were no weather-related operations in Bonn, a spokesman for the fire department said on Friday morning.
B56 closed due to flooding
Federal highway 56 is closed in the direction of Bonn at the Miel exit. According to the police, water collected in a depression there and caused flooding.
Swist provides operations in Rheinbach, Meckenheim and Swisttal
The Swist and its tributary streams were in flood from Thursday evening. Residents should avoid staying in basements as there could be a risk to life. At midnight, the city of Rheinbach reported that it had activated the staff for extraordinary events. Fire brigade and depot personnel are on duty, and the citizens’ hotline can be reached on 02226/8241291 and 02226/8241292.
In Flerzheim, the emergency reporting center and the self-help location in the athletes’ home were occupied because the water level in the Swistbach was rising. Therefore, the fire brigade brought all available mobile flood protection elements and sandbags to Flerzheim. Shortly before 2 a.m., the city announced that the Swist had partially stepped over the edge of the concrete bed in Flerzheim. After that, the situation initially relaxed a little.
The city of Meckenheim also warned on social media that night that “despite slightly falling water levels, urgent caution is still required”. “The risk of flooding may be decreasing, but the situation remains serious! Please continue to avoid the areas along the Swist and the streams that flow into it, as there could be a risk to life,” the municipality wrote on its Facebook page.
The Swisttal fire department announced on its Facebook page early Friday morning that over the course of the evening “the water masses in the Swist had made their way through Meckenheim and Rheinbach to Swisttal.” The enormous amounts of rain resulted in a rapid rise in the Swist’s water level, sometimes by one centimeter per minute. The Morenhoven area was particularly affected. A level of 2.55 meters was recorded during the night.
“In order to coordinate the emergency services and control the water levels, the command post of the Swisttal fire brigade in the Miel fire station was occupied at 10:20 p.m. The Morenhoven fire department was alerted at 12 a.m. as a risk to residents could no longer be ruled out,” wrote the fire department. The Buschhoven fire-fighting group and the Odendorf fire-fighting group were subsequently called in to provide support. The Ludendorf fire-fighting group filled sandbags at the construction yard. In addition, forces from Rheinbach, Sankt Augustin and Lohmar were on hand.
“Our emergency services warned residents about the impending danger of crossing the Swist (bell ringing and loudspeaker announcements). At the same time, flood protection systems and sandbag dikes were built to protect residents and canals.” The situation is currently easing somewhat and the level of the Swist in Morenhoven is falling slightly. “We continue to monitor the Heimerzheim water level closely. Our leadership position remains occupied.”
According to a spokesman for the Rhein-Sieg district rescue control center, the emergency services were still on duty in Swisttal, Rheinbach and Meckenheim on Friday morning. However, the level is falling. Accordingly, it was 2.25 meters on Friday morning in Morenhoven. No one was injured, he said.
“It has now calmed down again,” confirmed Jörg Kirchhartz, fire chief of the Rheinbach fire department, on Friday morning in Flerzheim. Because the tributaries have subsided, the Swist can no longer overflow its banks. “You can watch the level fall every minute.” There is no longer any acute danger. However, the fire department is still on site and monitoring the situation.
Residents in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler should leave Keller
Residents in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler called on the city on social media on Thursday evening to vacate basement rooms and underground car parks. She also warned citizens of further heavy rainfall and asked that neighbors also be warned of the dangers.
At around 8:30 p.m., the Ahrweiler district administration took over operational management for the cities of Sinzig, Remagen, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler and the municipality of Grafschaft, as the district announced on its website. There were around 300 weather-related operations there over the course of the evening, although no one was injured. This affected two households in Remagen with full basements, as the city announced on Friday morning.
Some roads in the county were also flooded. Some of the water was on the roads and could no longer drain away. In Vettelhoven and Eckendorf the Swist rose sharply, so the county volunteer fire department built protective walls. Residents were also asked to stay on the upper floors of their houses.
In the evening, rumors circulated on social media that the places should be evacuated, but the Ahrweiler district administration denied these on Facebook.
Flooded streets and basements
In Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, some streets were also flooded on Thursday evening. The water ran from Heerstraße down the street “Im Dellmich”. Several cellars in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler also filled up and were pumped dry by volunteers from the volunteer fire department. At around 7.20 p.m. the police also closed the B266 between the crossing of the A573 and Bad Neuenahr-Mitte. Heavy rain had flooded the lanes there. In addition to the fire department, the Technical Relief Agency (THW) was also on duty. At around 9:45 p.m., the city announced via Facebook that no people had been injured in the city area and that there had been no damage to the infrastructure.
The Ahrweiler district administration announced at 10:45 p.m. that more than 300 emergency services were on duty. The water levels of the Ahr and its tributaries are also harmless, but are being monitored closely. Residents of the Ahr should continue to pay attention to warning apps and notifications, as the weather situation is dynamic. At around 1 a.m. on Friday night, the district announced that the situation was easing, “lighter precipitation at night, but according to the current state of knowledge and expert assessment, there is little to no potential for severe weather.” The Ahrweiler district is now handing over to the local fire departments. Emergency calls should be directed to 112.
Flooded highways near Meckenheim
The thunderstorm first made itself felt in Niederkassel-Ranzel around 6 p.m. Some hailstones the size of your palm fell from the sky. At around 7 p.m., the police warned of the dangers of flooding on the A565 between Bonn and Meckenheim. The water there was about three centimeters high, the highway police said upon request. Drivers should exercise caution in the area between Merl and the Meckenheim intersection.
There was also a risk of flooding in both directions on the A61 between the Meckenheim junction and the Sinzig triangle.
In Ersdorf, heavy rain caused a pond to form right in front of a new development area. The water threatened to flow into the new development area in the evening. The fire department arrived and tried to pump out the water and prevent major damage.
For the Rhein-Sieg district, the rescue control center recorded around 35 weather-related operations by Friday morning. According to the control center, these were mainly toppled signs and full basements.
In Alfter, strong gusts of wind knocked over a maypole that was standing in the village square. The maypole threatened to roll onto the street, as Michael Hesse, press spokesman for the Alfter Volunteer Fire Department, said. Passers-by noticed the fallen tree and alerted the fire department. The emergency services secured the tree and then put it back on the village square.
In Wachtberg, the fire department recorded a total of five operations. Water had leaked into the cellars there. After around an hour, the 45 emergency services had pumped out the water, said fire department spokesman Michael Ruck.
Heavy rain in Rhineland-Palatinate
The Eifel region was particularly affected by the storm in the early evening. According to the Trier police, there were initial reports of hailstorms and flooded streets after heavy rain. The Koblenz police headquarters reported isolated fallen trees. In Prüm, some streets were partially flooded.
The DWD registered the first focal points on Thursday afternoon in the Eifel, the Bergisches Land as well as in Cologne and Düsseldorf, the DWD in Essen said. The DWD announced on Friday morning that there could still be rain in some areas until midday. After that the weather calmed down.