At least two people died from fallen trees, numerous roadblocks and disrupted train and air traffic: That is the record of storm “Ylenia” in Germany. However, the emergency services can only breathe deeply for a moment – the next violent storm is already approaching. “Zeynep” could bring even stronger hurricanes.
A 55-year-old died on a country road near Südharz in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. A tree fell on the man’s car due to the strong wind, police said. The car then overturned. A 37-year-old man died on a country road in Lower Saxony. Here, too, a tree fell on the car.
After extensive damage from the storm and many train cancellations, Deutsche Bahn quickly began to clean up. “It’s still too early to assess the damage, but the damage is significant,” said spokesman Achim Stauss. “At the moment, repair crews from the railways are working flat out to clear routes, cut trees with chainsaws or repair overhead lines.”
Due to the ongoing storm, further disruptions are to be expected. There will also be problems with the second expected storm front, said Stauss. “I’m afraid our travelers will have to live with restrictions for a longer period of time.” Tickets are therefore valid longer.
Long-distance rail services discontinued
The railway has completely stopped the long-distance traffic of ICEs and ICs in northern and northeastern Germany, said the spokesman. This affected Lower Saxony, Bremen, Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Berlin and Brandenburg. The storm also temporarily caused a power outage in thousands of households.
On a stormy trip across the Elbe in the morning, a large wave smashed the windscreen of a Hamburg harbor ferry. In Berlin, a 15 meter high antenna mast fell on the Ringbahn. The Berlin fire brigade declared a state of emergency both during the night and on Thursday morning.
The storm also caused power outages and traffic delays in the Czech Republic, Great Britain and Poland. More than 300,000 households in the Czech Republic were without electricity on Thursday due to damaged lines. In the north of England, thousands of households were temporarily cut off from the power supply. A crane overturned at a construction site in Kraków, injuring four construction workers. Two of the men later died in hospital.
The next hurricane – called “Zeynep” – is expected to come from the British Isles as early as noon today.
Source: Nachrichten
