GERMANY: FLOOD WATERS CONTINUE THEIR RAPID RISE THROUGH GERMAN CITIES OF TRAUNSTEIN, PASSAU AND DRESDEN

Record ID: 648786

  • Title: GERMANY: FLOOD WATERS CONTINUE THEIR RAPID RISE THROUGH GERMAN CITIES OF TRAUNSTEIN, PASSAU AND DRESDEN
  • Date: 13th August 2002
  • Summary: (W5)NEAR TRAUNSTEIN, BAVARIA, GERMANY (AUGUST 13, 2002) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF FLOODED RIVER TRAUN NEAR TRAUNSTEIN (2 SHOTS) 0.08 2. VARIOUS OF HOLIDAY HOUSES IN UNTERWASSEN, NEAR TRAUNSTEIN, DEMOLISHED BY FLOODS (5 SHOTS) 0.35 3. VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS CLEANING BELONGINGS (2 SHOTS) 0.46 4. VARIOUS OF INTERIOR OF HOUSE DAMAGED BY FLOODS (2 SHOTS) 1.01 5. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (German) RESIDENT RAINER WAJE SAYING "We made a phone call this morning and we heard that Unterwassen was flooded. We came here directly but at first we could not reach our house because the water all around it came up to our knees. The water has flooded my cellar completely and has reached up into the entrance hall." 1.20 6. SV: RESIDENT CLEANING BELONGINGS 1.25 (W4)PASSAU, BAVARIA, GERMANY (AUGUST 13, 2002) (REUTERS) 7. VARIOUS OF MEN IN WETSUITS IN FLOODWATER AROUND GIFT SHOP (2 SHOTS) 1.35 8. VARIOUS OF SOLDIERS FILLING SANDBAGS (2 SHOTS) 1.45 9. SLV: STREET WITH SANDBAGS AROUND SHOP WINDOWS 1.49 10. MV: TOP OF TELEPHONE BOX JUST ABOVE FLOOD WATER SEEN FROM BOAT 1.52 11. SV: ROOF OF BUS SHELTER JUST SHOWING BENEATH THE WATER 1.57 12. TRACK: TOP OF STREET LAMP 2.01 13. TRACK: SUBMERGED SHOP 2.06 14. TILT: RESIDENT LOOKING OUT FROM WINDOW OVER FLOODS 2.14 15. MV: ARMY IN BOAT 2.20 16. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSAU RESIDENT RAFFAEL DIN SAYING "Yesterday I was able to walk on the street but within two hours it was flooded. Then we received an emergency telephone call saying that the authorities expect a water level of 10.5m. So we tried to tidy up our belongings and make them safe, but we didn't expect so much water and now most of our things are underwater." 2.52 17. VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY SERVICES IN BOAT PROVIDING RESIDENT WITH EXTRA SANDBAGS (2 SHOTS) 3.02 (U4)FREITAL, SAXONY, GERMANY (AUGUST 13, 2002) (REUTERS) 18. PAN OF RIVER IN FULL FLOOD WITH HILL IN BACKGROUND 3.10 19. MV: WATER RUSHING DOWN STREET 3.14 20. MV: CHAIR BEING WASHED ALONG BY STRONG CURRENT 3.19 21. LV: FLOOD WATER 3.24 22. MV: RESIDENTS BEING COMFORTED 3.31 23. MV: RESIDENT EMPTYING BUCKETS 3.37 24. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (German) MICHAEL SOMMER, FREITAL RESIDENT, SAYING "It's a catastrophe, the whole cellar is flooded, the firemen can't help because they say they don't have the time. You can't even borrow a pump from them because they don't have enough themselves. I don't know how to get the water out of the cellar - it won't take long until the meter cupboard is flooded." 3.54 (U4)FRIEDRICHSTADL, DRESDEN, SAXONY, GERMANY (AUGUST 13, 2002) (REUTERS) 25. PAN: FIRE ENGINE GOING THROUGH FLOODED STREET 4.02 26. SLV: MAN WADING THROUGH WATER 4.07 27. SLV: RESIDENTS LEADING AND CARRYING DOGS THROUGH WATER 4.14 28. SV: FRIEDRICHSTADL HOSPITAL SIGN 4.18 29. SV: NURSE PUSHING PATIENT IN WHEELCHAIRS THROUGH FLOODWATER 4.23 30. SV: WOMAN CARRYING SUITCASE THROUGH FLOODED ROAD 4.28 31. SCU: (SOUNDBITE) (German) HARALD HEISE, FIREMAN IN CHARGE OF HOSPITAL EVACUATION SAYING "In Friedrichstadl (area of Dresden) the water is still rising more and more. In the hospital too one cellar after another is filling with water. The labaratories in the cellar are flooding too. The cellars and laboratories have to be evacuated and the hospital management decided to evacuate the whole hospital." 4.50 32. MV: AMBULANCES 4.54 33. PAN OF PATIENTS BEING TAKEN TO BUSES FOR EVACUATION 5.00 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 28th August 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: UNTERWASSEN, NEAR TRAUNSTEIN, PASSAU, BAVARIA AND DRESDEN, SAXONY, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVAFEF7C385LLK66OPBLPD8MEK8
  • Story Text: Flood waters have continued their rapid rise through
    the German cities of Traunstein, Passau and Dresden as the
    rest of the country struggles with the worst rainfall in
    living memory.


    Floods continued to affect large areas of Bavaria and
    Saxony on Tuesday (August 13, 2002).

    The river Traun sent a wave of water through Unterwassen,
    near Traunstein, destroying some weekend homes and flooding
    others.

    Home owners came to check on their properties as soon as
    they heard about the flooding.

    "We made a phone call this morning and we heard that
    Unterwassen was flooded. We came here directly but at first
    we could not reach our house because the water all around it
    came up to our knees," said Rainer Waje.

    Residents began the big clean up as soon as the waters had
    receded.

    Although the floods are slowly retreating in Traunstein,
    the people who live in the area, in addition to having to
    clean up, are now also facing fears of economic ruin. A lot of
    the victims of the floods, especially in Unterwassen, are not
    insured.

    Residents of the area have complained that the authorities
    built dams around the area but did not build any dams in
    Unterwassen as they needed this area as a basin.

    In Passau the police say flooding remains critical.

    Overnight the Danube rose to over 10.5m, flooding parts of
    the old town. Authorities expect the river to reach a peak
    level of 10.7m, which would be the highest since the floods of
    July 10, 1954.

    Around 600 fire servicemen and military have been working
    through the night to put up sandbags in the old part of the
    city to secure parts of it and pumped out flooded buildings.

    Dozens of shops and hotels on the side of river bank have
    also been flooded.

    Resident Raffael Din told Reuters: "Yesterday I was able
    to walk on the street but within two hours it was flooded."
    Bus stops, telephone kiosks and street lamps were nearly
    submerged as sandbag defences were reinforced around
    businesses and residential properties.

    "The Danube is at 10.65m and the outlook for this
    afternoon is 10.7m. The (river) Inn is at 8.2m and the outlook
    there is 8.3m. We have 1,000 men in action. Many cellars are
    flooded and many oil tanks are affected as well," said head of
    operations for Passau Fire Services Andreas Dittlmann.

    As flood waters washed around the town hall, Dittlmann,
    added: "We are doing everything we can with the means we still
    have available."
    Authorities think that conditions may improve Tuesday
    afternoon (August 13) as it has stopped raining in Passau.

    In Dresden at least two people have died and seven are
    missing, police said. They added that conditions are still
    critical after rains continued. Eleven areas are on highest
    alert. One hospital was being completely evactuated and a high
    state of alert has been announced overnight.


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