BERLIN (AP) — Heavy rains in southwestern Germany have flooded roads and basements, forced train routes to close temporarily and left some residents trapped in their homes.
In Zollernalbkreis county in the state of Baden-Wuerttemberg, hundreds of firefighters were on duty late Sunday after thunderstorms led to creeks bursting their banks and flooding streets, German news agency dpa reported Monday.
Several families in the town of Balingen were unable to leave their homes because floodwaters had risen around the buildings, according to dpa. They had to flee to upper floors where they waited until firefighters rescued them using ladders.
In the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, heavy rain flooded roads and caused landslides in the town of Daaden-Herdor, where about 250 members of the fire department were deployed during the night, dpa reported. No one was injured.
Smaller landslides also caused some debris to land on roads and tracks, leading to the temporary suspension of rail traffic between Daaden and Betzdorf.
In the summer of 2021, at least 134 people died in western Germany when heavy rain turned streams into raging torrents that swept away houses, roads and bridges.
