A severe storm impacted northern Germany over the weekend, causing significant disruptions to transportation and leading to emergency responses across several regions. The storm brought tumultuous weather patterns, elevates water levels along the coast, and forced both ferry and train services to adjust schedules drastically.
According to the Bundesamt für Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie (BSH), the situation at the Schleswig-Holstein North Sea coast became dire as water levels rose more than two meters above normal high tide levels. This storm surge significantly affected ferry services on the Wyker Dampfschiffs-Reederei routes to several islands, resulting in cancellations and major schedule changes. Similarly, the Neue Pellwormer Dampfschiffahrts GmbH (NPDG) was forced to cancel its first two ferry connections of the morning between Nordstrand and Pellworm.
Warnings were also issued for the Hamburg area, where BSH expected the high water mark to reach up to 3.9 meters above normal this morning. The agency urged individuals to avoid the entire section of the harbor, especially the Harbor City and adjacent low-lying buildings, and advised moving vehicles out of harm's way.
Storm conditions were severe, with wind gusts of up to 90 km/h reported. This had repercussions across Schleswig-Holstein, as emergency services, including fire and police, had to respond to nearly 350 weather-related incidents, particularly from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on the night of January 6. Many of these responses were due to fallen trees obstructing roads and causing hazards, such as the incident in Todenbüttel where storm winds disrupted the structure of a home.
On the rail lines, Deutsche Bahn confirmed the impact of the storm was felt significantly. The railway services experienced numerous cancellations and delays. Following severe damage to the tracks caused by fallen trees, trains between Hamburg and Berlin were temporarily halted. Despite the challenges, by the following morning, most services had resumed operations. A representative of Deutsche Bahn noted, “Train services are now mostly back to normal after many disruptions.”
Further complicate matters, the storm forces ferry operations to adjust once more. While services to the mainland from Wangerooge resumed their standard operations after evening delays due to the storm surge warnings, check-ins for other ferry lines remained inconsistent, necessitating passengers to rebook their previously purchased tickets.
Regional ferry services operating between Rostock and Gedser faced similar challenges as Scandlines temporarily halted operations due to high winds and strong currents. This brought added strain to passengers during peak tourist season, heightening already tense transportation circumstances.
The adverse weather was not confined to maritime transportation. Significant disruptions also occurred across major roads as fallen trees led to traffic impediments, particularly noted were the county's sharpest issues occurring late Monday afternoon. For example, an elderly man suffered serious injuries when a tree fell on top of his car on Federal Road 212. He was struck again by another falling tree upon exit.
Today, the BSH continues to monitor the situation as forecasts indicated the concerning possibility of even more inclement weather approaching the region. Notably, by Wednesday, temperatures are set to drop sharply, potentially bringing snow and ice to the affected areas, exacerbated by storm conditions.
Warnings remain active for northern regions as the Deutscher Wetterdienst (DWD) advised the public to remain vigilant for potential strong gusts up to 60 kph and continue caution around driving, particularly for the most vulnerable road users.