Heavy rain chaos in Darmstadt: streets and cellars are under water!

Heavy rain chaos in Darmstadt: streets and cellars are under water!

Heavy rain flooded the streets and cellars of Darmstadt yesterday. The districts of Arheilgen and parts of the city center were particularly affected, where the fire brigade is now active at around 75 locations - and the trend is increasing. In this weather you can really speak of a real upheaval, because the masses of water not only overloaded the sewage system, but also caused the Darmbach to overflow its banks. The flooding was particularly dramatic on Mainzer Straße. However, the situation there has now calmed down, so that the fire brigade and THW are still in full swing.

Fortunately, no one has been injured so far, which is the only positive news given the circumstances. It seems all the more important that the popular Heinerfest can continue despite the rain. In such times it is important that the community sticks together and maintains the good spirit.

Preparing for future heavy rain events

In order to better deal with future heavy rain, the science city of Darmstadt has launched an information series. From June 11th, the new heavy rain risk maps will be presented in several events, which are intended to provide information about the local flood risks. The first event will take place in the Muckerhaus in Arheilgen, followed by further events in the core town and Eberstadt. The aim is to inform citizens about the risks and to discuss measures to prevent heavy rain.

Interested citizens can also add their own comments and find out about topics such as crisis management and rainwater storage. This refers to essential points such as improving self-preservation and reducing sealed areas, which have been assessed increasingly critically in recent years.

A holistic approach to civil protection

The new brochure “Heavy Rain – Challenge for Civil Protection”, which is based on invaluable findings from climatology, focuses on the challenges posed by climate change and heavy rain. This new edition was necessary to respond to the dramatic events from the flood disaster of 2021. Not only does it provide valuable recommendations for action to improve operational data collection, but it also sheds more light on emissions in urban areas that are at risk from heavy sealing. The approach aims to design cities so that they can provide improved water retention and prevent flooding.

As part of this, the concept of the “sponge city” was developed, which aims to better store rainwater and thus not only reduce the risk of flooding, but also offer cities a cooling function during heat waves.

At a time when heavy rain events are becoming more and more frequent, it becomes clear how important it is that all actors in civil protection work together. The upcoming events offer a great opportunity not only to gather knowledge, but also to actively participate in shaping a resilient city. Information about the events and the new tickets can be found below darmstadt.de available.

The deployment of professional fire departments, volunteer fire departments and THW shows how seriously the situation in Darmstadt is taken. And even if the rain throws a wrench in our plans, there is hope that the new measures and information will better prepare the community in Darmstadt for the next heavy rain.

For further information about heavy rain prevention or contact options, the Office for Climate Protection and Climate Adaptation is available: Email: klimaschutz@darmstadt.de, Telephone: 06151 13-4902.

Research results and recommendations for action provided by Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief provided, reinforce the importance of increased risk communication and building networks within communities. Only together can we meet the challenges of the future.