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STORM

Storm Sabine caused €675 million of damage in Germany

Among the damage inflicted by Storm Sabine (or Ciara) across Europe last week was €675 million covered by insurers in Germany, the financial firms' federation said Tuesday.

Published: 18 February 2020 13:32 CET
Storm Sabine caused €675 million of damage in Germany
Stormy waters in Füssen, Bavaria, during the storm. Photo: DPA
Of the total, “€600 million will be paid out for damaged buildings, belongings, and commercial and industrial businesses” in around 500,000 cases, the GDV insurance federation said in a statement.
 
With an additional €75 million of damage to 40,000 cars and other vehicles, Sabine – known as Ciara elsewhere in Europe – was the sixth-worst winter storm for insurers since 2002.
 
Worst of all was hurricane Kyrill, which battered Germany in 2007 to the tune of €3 billion of insured damage.
 
Meanwhile in 2002, Storm Jeanette took a €1.3 billion toll and 2018's Friederike one billion.
 
 
On top of the financial fallout, this year's storm, which hit Germany hardest on February 10th and 11th, left at least three people badly injured and forced rail operator Deutsche Bahn to shut down intercity trains.
 
Hundreds of flights were also cancelled at several of the country's largest airports.
 

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WEATHER

More disruption expected as severe storms lash Germany

From travel disruption due to flooding to lightning and extreme heat, Germany is being hit by a series of summer storms - with more expected this weekend.

Published: 28 June 2024 11:11 CEST
More disruption expected as severe storms lash Germany

The weather in Germany so far this June has been extreme. 

And that trend is expected to continue this weekend as more heavy storms – and even the possibility of tornadoes – are expected. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) has warned of a tornado risk in southern and northern Baden on Saturday evening. Temperatures could reach up to 35C in this region in the run up to forecasted storms.  

According to a DWD spokesperson on Friday, extreme thunderstorms are expected to move in this direction from France. They are forecast to bring hailstones up to five centimetres in size, gale-force gusts and heavy rainfall of 30 to 50 litres per square metre in just a few hours.

People heading to fan zones for Euro 2024 across the country are being urged to check before traveling, in case areas are closed due to the weather. 

Travel disruption, lightning strikes and flooding

Storms on Thursday night already caused problems across the country. 

From Bavaria to Hamburg, and North-Rhine Westphalia to Thuringia – there was heavy rainfall as well as thunder and lightning. 

The railway line between Bremen and Hamburg was closed for several hours. According to Deutsche Bahn, long-distance trains were diverted via Hanover and several regional trains were cancelled. The line has since been reopened, at least to a limited extent, but delays should still be expected.

Stormy weather in Pförring, Bavaria on Thursday.

Stormy weather in Pförring, Bavaria on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/NEWS5 | Ferdinand Merzbac

Long-distance trains are being diverted via Hanover without stopping. “Some IC/ICE trains are cancelled between Hamburg and North Rhine-Westphalia,” said Deutsche Bahn. 

According to Hamburg fire and rescue teams, there were more than 700 call-outs by early evening. In addition to flooding, emergency services had to deal with uprooted trees and fallen branches.

READ ALSO: Germany braces for heat, humidity and thunderstorms

Streets were also submerged in water. 

The DWD on Thursday issued severe weather warnings, including for lightning strikes. In Gernrode in Saxony-Anhalt, a lightning strike destroyed the chimney of a detached house, while in Unterpörlitz in Thuringia a roof truss caught fire after being struck by lightning.

Up to 100 litres of rain per square metre fell within a short time during a heavy storm in Detmold in North Rhine-Westphalia. According to a statement from the city, a thunderstorm cell unloaded with tremendous force over the north-east of the city.

In comparison: in North Rhine-Westphalia, there was an average of 91 litres of rain per square metre in the entire month of April – and that was around 50 percent more precipitation than in average years. Nobody was reported harmed in the storm.

In Dresden two supermarket employees were reportedly taken to hospital after a lightning strike hit a store in the Klotzsche district. The woman and man, both 50-years-old, complained of headaches, malaise and nausea, the fire and rescue service said. The store was evacuated. 

The storm in Dresden flooded streets and brought down trees. As well as Klotzche, the districts of, Hellerau, Wilschdorf and Löbtau were particularly affected. 

Heavy thunderstorms also kept firefighters busy in parts of Thuringia, where roads were closed. In Gerthausen in south-west Thuringia, the fire brigade was also deployed to pump water out of cellars.

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