Severe thunderstorms sweep across Baden-Württemberg: One dead in Karlsruhe, massive damage to infrastructure and buildings

Fatal incident in Karlsruhe

The Karlsruhe Fire Department reported more than 250 weather-related operations during the evening and night. Around 400 firefighters and approximately 50 THW personnel were deployed throughout the city, according to their statements. A police spokesperson at the Karlsruhe headquarters reported that between 7:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. there had been flooding and inundations, during which traffic lights and cars were damaged; more than 50 operation sites had been processed.

In the area of the Ludwigsburg police headquarters, "quite a lot was going on because of the severe weather," according to a police spokesperson. In total, around 50 operations had been registered that were known to police. In the Rems-Murr district, falling trees onto a building caused damage of approximately 100,000 euros.

Operational situation in the Stuttgart region

Emergency services had plenty to do elsewhere as well. In Pforzheim, police counted around 30 severe weather operations into the night. In the Stuttgart region, around 70 operations were reported, including those due to fallen roof tiles and flooded basements.

The thunderstorms also spread into Bavaria. On the A8 motorway in Swabia, there was a series of accidents with six crashes caused by aquaplaning. The effects of the severe weather thus extended beyond the state's borders.

Bavaria: Aquaplaning series on the A8

An incident at the Stuttgart motorway interchange attracted attention: there, a combination vehicle approximately 90 meters long transporting a wind turbine blade blocked the connection from the A8 coming from Karlsruhe to the A81 toward Singen. According to police, the transporter came to a stop and completely blocked the roadway. The damage amounts to approximately 70,000 euros according to police. The road closures were lifted again around 8:00 p.m.

Blocked motorway: Wind turbine blade transporter at the Stuttgart interchange

Parallel to the severe weather operations, a World War II bomb had to be defused at the train station in Bruchsal (Karlsruhe district). The relic was discovered during construction work on Thursday evening around 4:00 p.m. Within a radius of 200 meters, approximately 530 people were evacuated according to the city of Bruchsal; the evacuation proceeded swiftly. The closures could be lifted again late in the evening.

The open-air festival "FEST am SEE" at the Günther-Klotz-Anlage in Karlsruhe was cancelled around 7:45 p.m. according to the organizers. Because of the thunderstorm, meteorologists tracked a so-called supercell over the region, which carried hail from Stuttgart to Ulm.

Bomb defusal in Bruchsal

The weather outlook remains changeable: According to the German Weather Service (DWD), temperatures will remain somewhat cooler, with 22 degrees in the High Black Forest and a maximum of 28 degrees on the Tauber. Further caution is therefore advised, as the softened ground and waterlogged basements have not yet been fully secured.

Police and fire services appealed to the public to secure loose objects, avoid basements and underground parking garages, and only place emergency calls in genuine emergencies. Due to the many parallel operations, there were occasional waiting times at the control center.

Insurers pointed out that storm damage should generally be reported within 72 hours. Affected homeowners in Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Pforzheim and the Rems-Murr district are urged to document the damage and submit it to their insurance companies.

At several schools and kindergartens in the greater Stuttgart area, classes were cancelled on Friday morning because basements were flooded and outdoor areas were not safe to walk on. Public transport was also temporarily restricted: several bus routes were diverted, and individual tram lines in Karlsruhe had to be closed due to flooding.

Weather, climate and consequences

Scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) explained that the increase in such extreme weather events is linked to climate change. Warmer air can absorb more moisture, which increases the intensity of heavy rainfall events.

On Friday morning, cleanup operations continued. The Stuttgart Fire Service spoke of a "marching phase" with cleanup squads that, among other things, were pumping out flooded basements and cutting up fallen trees.

Overall, the evening's toll demonstrates the destructive power of the thunderstorms in Baden-Württemberg: one dead, several injured, property damage of at least six figures, a blocked motorway interchange and hundreds of operations. Authorities continued their investigations and damage assessments on Friday.