Severe Weather: Over 200 Emergency Calls — Several Areas Still Closed

Until early Wednesday morning, full-time staff members

• from the permanent station
• all 13 volunteer fire departments, as well as
• the Federal Agency for Technical Relief, with a total of 250 personnel,

were on the scene. The damage ranged from flooded basements and underground parking garages to numerous fallen trees, damaged roofs, and more.

As City Fire Chief Friedhelm Weidinger reported, due to the large number of active incident sites still remaining in the city, interregional assistance was requested that evening. In response, the Fürth district dispatched four fire departments with five emergency vehicles, and the Erlangen-Höchstadt district sent one fire department with a turntable ladder truck to the city of Hugenottenstadt.

The Nuremberg Integrated Control Center recorded around 3,000 emergency calls on Tuesday evening. It is responsible for the cities of Nuremberg, Fürth, and Erlangen, as well as the districts of Nürnberger Land, Fürth, and Erlangen-Höchstadt.

Consequences of the storm (Photo: Erlangen Fire Department)

Caution During Cleanup Work – Be Aware of Closed Areas

Extreme caution is advised, as trees may still fall. Even when cleaning up your own basement, pay special attention to electrical appliances, flooded outlets, or similar hazards. Currently, the Schlossgarten and, among other areas, the playground in Regnitzgrund (near Damaschkestraße) are closed. There are a few other areas that have been closed off as well. There is a risk of more branches breaking off, so it is essential to observe all closures. The City of Erlangen recommends that all residents install the NINA warning app (the federal government’s emergency information and news app). In addition to hazard alerts, the app sends severe weather warnings for your predefined location, along with guidance on how to respond.

Thanks to Emergency Responders

Together with Mayor Jörg Volleth, Deputy Mayor and Fire Department Coordinator Eva Linhart thanked the emergency responders—most of whom are volunteers—for addressing all the damage. Until at least the end of the week, numerous employees of the municipal department for urban greenery, waste management, and street cleaning will also be out and about to remove broken branches and clean up dirty streets and paths. In addition, numerous trees must be inspected following the thunderstorm.

Further information on heavy rain and flash floods is available online at www.erlangen.de/krisenvorsorge. The city provides monthly updates to the public through its “Preparing for Crises and Disasters” series.