Thousands of people were evacuated over the weekend and more were expected to leave their homes as southern Germany was hit by severe flooding that left an emergency responder dead and at least one other person missing on Sunday night.
Several villages along the Danube and Schmutter rivers were evacuated when an official raised concerns about a dam on Sunday night.
Those affected were advised to remain calm, pack essentials and follow instructions from emergency services.
Heavy rain and flooding in two states caused disruption over the weekend and more rain was forecast, the weather service said.
Near Lake Constance, further flooding was expected after a river burst its banks, flooding local streets.
Tens of thousands of emergency services have been in constant action since Friday night, especially in Upper Bavaria and Swabia, building sandbag dams, pumping water, cordoning off danger zones and rescuing people from flooded homes.
One firefighter was killed, another was still missing Sunday night, as was a woman.
Meanwhile, people on the Danube were preparing for the impending flood wave and transport rescue services were lining up rescue helicopters equipped with winches, a spokesman for the ADAC air rescue service said.
In total, at least 40,000 emergency workers have taken part in rescue efforts since Friday, while the German army also stepped in to help as rivers in the region burst their banks.
A firefighter died overnight after his rubber dinghy capsized in the Bavarian town of Pfaffenhofen an der Ilm, which is about 40 kilometers north of Munich.
His three colleagues on the boat managed to save themselves, but the firefighter’s body was found on Sunday morning, local authorities said.
Rescuers were on their way to rescue a family in the severely flooded area. There are no details about what happened to the family.
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz on Sunday expressed his condolences on social media platform X. “The death of a firefighter in Pfaffenhofen shocked me,” he said, adding that his thoughts were with the firefighter’s relatives and colleagues.
Scholz is expected to visit the region on Monday. On Sunday, several lawmakers traveled to the affected areas, including Vice Chancellor Robert, Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder and the state’s Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann.
Söder and others paid tribute to the people struggling with the flood and the help and support shown. “Together we will overcome this,” he wrote on X.
He and Habeck said they were shocked by the firefighter’s death. “It’s terrible. He died trying to save people from the floods,” Habeck said.
An energy company employee was seriously injured after suffering an electric shock in Freising, Upper Bavaria, police said.
There was also concern about the disappearance of several people amid the extreme rains.
So far, around 3,000 people in Bavaria have been evacuated from flooded areas, a spokeswoman for the state Interior Ministry said on Sunday.
A fire service spokesman said the flooding in the region was unpredictable and the most extreme seen to date.
Earlier, the German Meteorological Service (DWD) said that some regions in southern Germany recorded more than a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours.
Kisslegg, in the southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg, recorded 130 millimeters of rain on Friday alone, the DWD said. The region typically reports 118 millimeters per month at this time of year.
In Bad Wörishofen, Bavaria, 129 millimeters fell in 24 hours, compared to a monthly average of 101 millimeters.
More heavy rain is forecast. The DWD warned of extreme amounts of rain, especially in southern Germany.
