Though no injuries were initially reported due to the significant amount of rain, fire brigades had their work cut out dealing with the numerous roads which were flooded.

Two federal highways and several municipal roads were closed in the afternoon, according to a police spokesman. Mud and debris were washed onto the roads from adjacent fields. Some of the roads were under about a metre of water.

Services on the train lines between Bad Brambach and Weischlitz had to be completely stopped due to the rails being covered in water.

The regions which were particularly affected are areas around the White Elster river and south and southwest of Oelsnitz.

The water level in Saxony’s Pirk dam was particularly high. In the neighbouring community of Weischlitz, sandbags had been already been set up just to be on the safe side, according to the local firefighters.

In some neighbourhoods, gyms were opened as emergency shelters since several homes experienced power failures. In and around the towns of Adorf, Bad Elster and Elsnitz, the fire brigade were called out 230 times between 2 pm and 11 pm.

The German Weather Service (DWD) had warned of extreme storms for the western Vogtland region on Thursday.

“In Bad Elster alone, 95 litres [of rain] per square metre have fallen in the last six hours,” a DWD meteorologist said in the afternoon.