Deadly Downpour
August 10, 2007
Water covered streets and camping grounds and invaded basements along Germany's border with Switzerland. Further north, heavy and constant rain caused the Rhine River to expand.
In the region near Freiburg, flood precautions were taken. High water levels were expected to reach a dangerously high level of 8.5 meters (27.9 feet) Friday.
Sections of the Rhine were closed to ships Thursday evening as barges were unable to pass under the bridges because of high water levels. While some flooding has occurred, the worst seems to be over, officials said.
"Critical water levers are not expected," an agency that monitors water levels along the Rhine announced Friday.
Dangerous basements
The flooding is thought to be responsible for two deaths in western Germany Thursday evening. A 61-year-old man was in his basement when water flooded in and killed him. A second man was likely electrocuted while trying to clear flood water out of his basement with an electric pump.
In Switzerland, the army was called in Thursday to help battle rising flood waters. The floods caused chaos to the Swiss transportation system. Roads were underwater or blocked by landslides, the Rhine was closed and trains faced delays.
While the Swiss weather service reported the country received record levels of rain -- Zurich had 97 millimeters (3.8 inches) in 24 hours -- it did not match flooding two years ago, when six people died and there were 2.5 billion Swiss francs ($2.1 billion) in damage.
Water levels in Switzerland had begun to recede Friday.
Extreme weather more common
Europeans need to get used to extreme weather such as floodings and drought, said climate expert Jürgen Kropp of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
People who live near lakes and rivers should no longer expect to be able to call the government and demand compensation for flooding, he said.
"Climate change is finally here," Kropp told public broadcaster Südwestrundfunk on Thursday. "We find ourselves in the middle of it and the consequences are inevitable."