One Dead, Several Injured in German Storms; Hamburg and Stuttgart Fire Departments Respond to Numerous Incidents

A powerful storm cell unleashed severe weather across parts of Germany, leaving one person dead and three seriously injured in the Saxon Switzerland region. The victim, a 28-year-old man, was killed when a tree collapsed on him in the small spa town of Rathen. Emergency services reported that ten individuals received outpatient treatment, and 40 people were evacuated from the area.

“

The situation is chaotic on site.

The incident occurred near the Felsenbühne open-air theatre, close to the Amselsee lake and the Schwedenlöcher gorge. Strong winds caused numerous trees to fall, complicating rescue efforts in the rocky terrain. Rescue teams, including a mountain rescue service and a drone team from the German Red Cross, searched for potential missing persons, with a police helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging camera also deployed. The German Weather Service had issued warnings for severe thunderstorms across much of Saxony.

“

It appears to have been a very localized and very strong storm cell.

In Stuttgart, a severe thunderstorm and strong winds also caused trees to fall, damaging cars, power lines, and blocking roads. Several underpasses were flooded. The fire department responded to approximately 50 incidents, prioritizing them based on urgency. Fortunately, no injuries were reported in Stuttgart.

“

Trees fell on cars, power lines, or roads.

Meanwhile, the Hamburg fire department responded to nearly 100 calls related to the storm between 6:30 PM and 9:00 PM. Most of these incidents involved water-related issues, with twelve categorized as 'imminent falling' (e.g., fences, roof tiles). Despite the high volume of calls, the fire department reported sufficient capacity to manage the situation, with no reported injuries.

“

There were almost call-outs every minute.