Storm in Zwickau: 85 fire brigade missions after heavy rain and lightning strike!

Storm in Zwickau: 85 fire brigade missions after heavy rain and lightning strike!

heavy rain and violent thunderstorms caused a real mess in West Saxony on Sunday. The voluntary fire departments in the Zwickau district were in constant stress and came to a total of 85 missions between 4 p.m. and midnight. They faced major challenges such as full basements, flushed up streets and broken branches. A lightning strike in Kirchberg also caused excitement, while two accidents were recorded on the A 4 motorway. The rescue control center announced the number of operations on Monday morning and made it clear that the weather conditions had drastic effects. In other parts of Germany, too, the weather was not exactly inviting. In Lower Saxony, for example, there were similarly chaotic scenes, such as the ndr reported.

In Lower Saxony, the weather was also not without consequences. There, the fire brigades were used by strong thunderstorms. The fire of a residential building in Beverstedt in the district of Cuxhaven was particularly dramatic, the cause of which is probably due to a lightning strike. In addition, thick branches were demolished in Hanover's city forest Eilenriede, which caused further damage. Large outdoor events such as the Fonsstock Festival in Nordenham also had to be canceled prematurely. The spotted conditions also burdened the Waves Festival in the Wedemark, in which around 6,000 people took part.

Connection with climate change

It cannot be overlooked that such extreme weather events increase through climate change. A study of the German Weather Service shows that heavy rain events have increasingly occurred in recent years. This study, which was carried out as part of the strategic authority alliance "Adaptation to Climate Change", confirms that precipitation often decreases today as a small -scale heavy rain and less than long -lasting rain. This development leads to a higher total amount of precipitation and potentially higher damage.

The data collected indicate that the dangers of heavy rain depend heavily on local conditions. The fire brigades are often used in lowering and heavily populated areas, where the risk of flooding is particularly high. As part of the recommendations for improving population protection, it is crucial to optimize the recording of operational data and to create a comprehensive position of the application for heavy rain. Voices from the professional world, such as those of DWD board member Tobias Fuchs, underline the urgency, climate protection and adaptation measures in order to alleviate the effects of such weather extremes.