Severe storm with hail floods streets in Reutlingen and triggers power outage

Emergency services deploy

The Reutlingen fire department coordinated operations in several districts. The rescuers were on duty with an increased number of personnel, according to their own statements, in order to respond to the high volume of emergency calls. According to reports, the masses of water also penetrated some lower-lying areas of the city, including underpasses and underground parking garages.

Across the city, individual transformer stations were affected for several hours, leaving households and businesses without power. As a city spokesperson stated, the repair teams responded quickly: "Die Ampeln funktionieren aber wieder und die Stadt sei wieder im 'Normalbetrieb'." As a result, traffic at most intersections was flowing normally again by the morning.

Power supply and normal operations

Residents reported numerous damages via social networks and emergency calls, including washed-out road surfaces, flooded light wells, and isolated toppled construction fences or smaller trees. The fire department pointed out that cleanup work could continue and that residents should exercise caution, for example when coming into contact with potentially live cables or flooded basements.

According to regional weather services, the weather situation was caused by a thunderstorm front that moved across the region in the early morning hours. The heavy rainfall was accompanied by hail that, according to eyewitness reports, was several centimeters in size in places and briefly covered lawns, parking lots, and roadways with a white layer before melting within a few minutes.

Consequences and cleanup work

The city administration of Reutlingen announced that the exact extent of damage to public infrastructure such as roads, sewers, and traffic light systems would be assessed in the coming days. Private homeowners were urged to report damage to buildings to their insurance companies and to inform the city's building authorities if needed.

Background on the weather situation

Meteorologists pointed out that such severe storms with heavy rain and hail can occur repeatedly in Baden-Württemberg during the summer months. Recommendations include not parking vehicles under trees, keeping basements and light wells clear, and avoiding unnecessary car trips during thunderstorms.