Sturm over East Frisia: injured and chaos by fallen trees

Sturm over East Frisia: injured and chaos by fallen trees

A violent storm hit the northwest of Lower Saxony on Saturday evening and put some cities in turmoil. Numerous trees rushed in East Frisia, which led to a real commodity for the police and fire brigade. The situation was explosive when 54 police operations were needed across the entire region. The fire brigade came to an incredible 83 storm -related missions, although the city of Emden was not even counted. This impressively illustrates the huge forces the weather can develop.

It was particularly worrying that not only property damage but also injuries were to be complained about. Among those affected was a 28-year-old from Westerstede, who was captured by a strong gust when she jumped in Cloppenburg when she started landing. The wind let her fall, whereupon she had to be taken to the hospital with an ambulance.

damage and operations in the region

The storm did not stop at an ultra-light aircraft at the Leer-Papenburg airfield. A windbö caught the parked aircraft and whirled it briefly through the air until it landed on the roof. The fire brigade formed a fire foam ceiling around the aircraft to minimize possible fire threats through escaping fuel.

The fire brigade was enormously challenged and worked around the clock to ensure the security of the citizen. In Aurich-Middels, a part of a farmers' building even collapsed. Firefighters and the technical relief organization (THW) were quickly on site to secure the building and avert further damage.

on the island of Langeoog also occurred an incident in which a passerby was slightly injured by a flying glass top. In the meantime, several cars were damaged in Emden by fallen trees. The amount of the damage has not yet been determined, but the effects of the storm are noticeable in the entire region.

The German Weather Service had already announced extreme wind speeds of up to 85 kilometers per hour before the storm on the North Sea. This warning proved to be justified because the gusts of wind swept across the country with full force.

a city under pressure

The concerns of the firefighters and police officers are great, because the high effort in such storms often represents a challenge. Tactics to use foam against possible fires with the fire brigade shows how serious the situation was. While the emergency services took care of the remains of the destruction, the forces of nature left no room for calm.

It remains to be seen whether there will be further extreme weather extremes in the next few days. Citizens are asked to be particularly attentive and take precautions because the dangers of falling branches and damaged buildings remain. In times of such drastic weather events, cohesion is required. Everyone should pay attention to their fellow human beings while the helpers do their best to stabilize the situation.

The events of the weekend impressively show how quickly the events can change through weather extreme. What still appeared normally yesterday can turn into chaos today. Humanity should be more aware of the unpredictability of nature than ever.

It is not uncommon for storms in the Lower Saxony region to cause considerable damage and cause the emergency services on alert. These storms are often the result of dynamic weather conditions that are influenced by various climatological factors.

In this case, a combination of deep air pressure areas and damp air masses led to the strong winds that affected the coastal regions in particular. The German Weather Service (DWD) often warns of the weather conditions that occur particularly in autumn and spring. Wind speeds of up to 85 km/h are not unusual in these seasons and can lead to extreme weather events in combination with other factors such as heavy rain or thunderstorms.

weather phenomena and their effects

Storms in Lower Saxony often have far -reaching consequences not only for public security, but also for infrastructure. The risk of overthrowing trees and the possibility of surface fires after storm damage are serious risks that must be taken into account by the emergency services.

Especially in rural areas, such as East Frisia, the consequences of a storm are even more serious, since there is less spatial space for the trees and an inadequate infrastructure in order to deal with such natural events. The fire brigades and emergency services often also report additional damage that only occur days after the actual storm, such as water damage due to fallen trees that overthrow on roof areas or power lines.

An example from the past is the "Kyrill" hurricane, which searched large parts of Germany in 2007, including Lower Saxony. Similar scenarios were recorded in this storm: numerous fallen trees, power outages and numerous operations from the fire brigade. The difference is often due to the intensity and the supply infrastructure, which has a major impact on the reaction times of the emergency services in recent times.

statistical data on storm damage

An evaluation of the DWD shows that storm damage in northern Germany has increased in recent years. Statistics show that extreme weather events in Germany have increased by around 20% in the past 30 years. This includes both the frequency and the intensity of storms, which often lead to higher damage to property.

An example of the costs associated with storm damage is the storm "Zeynep", which hit Lower Saxony in 2022. The amount of damage amounted to several million euros, which underlines the importance of preventive measures and rapid emergency management. For Lower Saxony's coastal areas, it remains crucial to take both infrastructural and organizational measures in order to better manage such natural events.

In addition, the DWD started programs as part of its climate research to examine the weather extreme and improve predictions, which is of great importance for future events. A better warning could help to better protect people and property.