Broken roofs, windows and cars, dozens injured: NRW in particular was hit hard by the storm. But other federal states are not spared from “Emmelinde’s” rages.
Thunderstorms, heavy rain and hurricanes have caused severe damage in parts of Germany. Initially, North Rhine-Westphalia was particularly affected:
According to the police, 30 to 40 people were injured in the Paderborn area, at least ten of them seriously. Heavy rain and hurricane winds caused chaos, especially in Lippstadt and Paderborn. In Lippstadt, the fire brigade even reported a suspected tornado that caused serious damage. There are destroyed roofs and fallen trees throughout the city, said a fire department spokesman. In Paderborn there was talk of millions in damage.
14 injured in Bavaria
In Central Franconia in Bavaria, 14 people, including several children, were injured when a wooden hut collapsed during the storm there. The accident happened on Friday evening in Spalt (Roth district) near the Großer Brombachsee. According to a police spokeswoman, in view of the storm approaching in Bavaria, several vacationers sought shelter in the approximately 85 square meter hut, which then tipped to the side and collapsed.
Overall, the storm triggered almost 400 fire brigade operations in Middle Franconia – mainly because of flooded basements, uprooted trees and damaged house roofs. Between Neuhaus and Hersbruck the railway line was closed because of trees on the tracks.
Man dies after being electrocuted
In Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland, there was no major damage despite massive thunderstorms. Police and rescue workers reported only a few fallen trees, hail damage to cars and flooding of basements. A 38-year-old man died in Rhineland-Palatinate when he suffered an electric shock when entering a flooded basement, which caused him to fall and probably hit his head, the police said. In the district of Bernkastel-Wittlich, five people were injured in a car accident on a rain-soaked country road, including a three-year-old child.
In Thuringia, a driver came off the road near Dittersdorf in the Saale-Orla district due to aquaplaning and crashed into a concrete wall, the police said. He and three passengers suffered minor injuries. The emergency services also had to move out elsewhere in Thuringia – mainly because of uprooted trees blocking the roads.
Band Rammstein interrupts concert
In Saxony, the band Rammstein had to interrupt their concert on Friday evening for half an hour due to a thunderstorm over Leipzig. 45 minutes after the start of the show, people in the Red Bull Arena were asked to leave the stadium and seek shelter. After 15 minutes, the fans were then allowed back into the interior.
According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the thunderstorm should move eastwards over Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania on Saturday. Before that there may be gusts of wind. A few thunderstorms are still to be expected in the south. People in the north-east can expect an alternation of sun and clouds, and it should also be sunny in the south-west, but not as warm as before.
