Stormy weather Storms disrupt parts of NRW
Euskirchen · Although storm damage was much worse elsewhere in Germany, NRW had its share of storm-related disruptions on Monday.
North Rhine Westphalia (NRW) got a share of the severe storm system which moved through Germany yesterday. There was water in basements, mud on the streets and severe thunderstorms with heavy rains. The Fire Department from Euskirchen was called out 125 times. Most affected were the towns of Mechernich and Kall. A liquid gas tank was torn from its base and leaked all of the contents. In Kall, a production hall in an industrial area stood under water. The German Red Cross (DRZ) was on location with 250 workers.
Emergency phone calls were also numerous in Stolberg in Rheinland. Leaves and mud clogged sewer pipes, allowing the water to run into the streets and down into cellars. Emergency workers pumped out water and put down sand bags to protect homes. A street was flooded by an overflowing stream, and at the central train station, the underpass to the platforms was flooded. No injuries were reported.
On Tuesday, there is expected to be a break from the rain and more sun with a high of 24°C. In the second half of the week, however, the next band of rain is coming from the northeast over NRW and will spread out across all of Germany. This storm system could bring more thunderstorms and heavy rains.
Düsseldorf Airport had to cancel numerous starts and landings due to the severe storm on Monday. Multiple lightning strikes in overhead lines disrupted rail traffic. Despite the damage and disruptions, the situation was not nearly as severe in NRW as in other parts of Germany.
