Several regions in Germany were hit by heavy rain yesterday. In the German state of eastern Saxony, more than 100 liters of rain per square meter fell in 24 hours, causing flooding.
In Saxony there are floods in Saxon Switzerland, a popular mountainous tourist area near Dresden. The local authorities announced on Saturday evening that many places are no longer accessible: Neustadt, Sibnitz, Bad Schandau, Reinhardsdorf Schwena and Gorech were particularly hard hit. Residents are advised to avoid basements, underground garages, and the metro. The railway line between Bad Schandau and Czech De Tsjechischein was closed. “The situation is tense, but it is manageable,” the state Interior Ministry’s crisis center said.
Alert level 4 has been exceeded on the Polenz River near Neustadt, says the state’s flood control center. The Kernitzsch, Sibnitz and Lachbach rivers are experiencing “a sharp rise in the water level”. “Severe flooding is expected,” a government agency said last night. Since yesterday afternoon, aid workers have had to go out more than 250 times.
