Storm chaos in Erftstadt: Keller full, streets flooded!

Storm chaos in Erftstadt: Keller full, streets flooded!

Erftstadt, Deutschland - A violent storm raged on Saturday afternoon, May 31, 2025, about North Rhine-Westphalia, with a special focus in Erftstadt. The region was recorded by a thunderstorm cell that brought rainfall of up to 80 liters per square meter. The districts were particularly affected by Herrig, Lechenich and Liblar, where numerous basements were under water and streets were flooded. Several hundred emergency calls were received in the district control center.

A total of 196 operations were registered in Erftstadt. For comparison: there were only 12 points of equipment in Hürth, while other cities were even less affected. The Peter-Mörs-Platz in Herrig was the most affected area, where the water could initially flow out without any problems, but was later hindered by surface water from surrounding fields.

emergency services and protective measures

The city alarm was triggered via the district control center, so that over 160 firefighters and helpers of the Technical Relief Agency (THW) were used. City fire chief Thomas Hammer was responsible for the operations management. In order to prevent the flooding of a transformer, the Herrig district was switched off at around 7:30 p.m., which affected about 550 people. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but a woman in need of care from Herrig.

The THW used large pumps and farmers supported the use with their suction wagons. An originally planned measure to remove a ditch was rejected because the sewage system was overloaded but was not clogged. Many of the approximately 120 points of application were able to drain themselves. Mayor Carolin Weitzel personally found out about the location on site.

effects and outlook

The power supply was largely restored around 11 p.m. The city administration assumes that the events of 2021 will not be repeated, since the storm only occurred. In order to prepare the population for such weather events, a comprehensive flood prevention is of crucial importance, such as the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Security emphasized

The municipality will continue to observe the situation and, if necessary, take measures to improve flood protection. It remains to be seen how weather behavior in the region is developing and which precautions have to be taken in the future to protect the citizens.

For more information about the current situation in Erftstadt and measures that have been taken, interested citizens can visit the official website of the city at

parts of the report come from ksta.de .