5 months ago
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Residents in the southern German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberghave been urged to exercise extreme caution Saturday as dramatic evacuations take place across the region.
So far, states of emergency have been declared in several districts and the German Weather Service (DWD) has issued severe weather warnings in more than 10 districts, with forecasts for more heavy rain over the next 24-48 hours.
Widespread disruption
Train service between the Bavarian capital Munich and Bregenz, Austria, as well as Zurich, Switzerland, were canceled Saturday. Train travel between Munich and Stuttgart, the capital of Baden-Württemberg, was detoured, and services between Ulm and Augsburg were also affected.
In Augsburg, Bavaria, a dyke and a dam both burst prompting emergency evacuations. In Fischach, west of Munich, emergency services workers had to rescue residents stranded in their homes with helicopters when the local Schmutter River flooded. Other districts saw rescuers arriving in boats as floodwaters made roads impassable.
Authorities in Diedorf near Augsburg, for instance, told residents that it was no longer enough for them to simply move to the upper floors of their homes, ordering them to leave as floodwaters continued to rise
Water levels in some areas got so high that authorities said it wasn't enough to just to go to a higher part of the houseImage: Michael Bihlmayer/Bihlmayerfotografie/IMAGOResidents of Bavaria, Baden Württemberg ordered to evacuate
Evacuations in the region began Friday evening, with an apartment building in Lindau, Bavaria, emptied as a precautionary measure. Water had made its way into the building, a spokeswoman for the city said, increasing the risk of an electrical short-circuit.
Residents were bussed to a nearby gymnasium where they spent the night.
Some 1,300 people in the Lake Constance district of Baden Württemberg were also asked to leave their homes due to the risk of flooding.
The fire department has urged residents to avoid basement areas.
In Wiesensteig, Baden-Württemberg, residents were ordered to boil water before consumption after floodwaters overwhelmed local water treatment facilities.
The two German states are expecting the dangerous storms and floods to continue throughout the weekend, with the chance of moving north-eastward within the country.
rmt/kb,ab (AFP, dpa)
