A German town has declared a “state of disaster” after 80 percent of its buildings were left seriously damaged by a raging storm.
The district office of Garmisch-Partenkirchen in Bavaria, southern Germany, has declared a disaster for the municipality of Bad Bayersoien, home to around 1,300 residents, following the devastating weather.
The violent storm saw hail as long as 8cm fall across the area. Parked cars were seriously damaged with roof tiles and many skylights smashed. Many roofs were completely covered by the hail described by one onlooker as like being pelted with “steel balls”, while others were destroyed entirely.
The storm has also uprooted several trees – but luckily no one has been badly hurt, the local authority said.
READ MORE Met Office ‘peak hurricane’ verdict as heat blast will send temperatures soaring
District Administrator Anton Speer declared the disaster on Sunday in order to call for aid from other nearby districts.
Emergency roofs have been requested for residents and will be transported there from all over Bavaria.
Mr Speer said: “The end of the mission is not yet in sight and the forces on site still have some hard work ahead of them.”
“The devastation is brutal,” he added. “We need help”. Pictures show large homes caved in, with the interior showing, while some cars are covered in large dents.
Don’t miss…
Hikers left terrified by mysterious naked ‘Wolf Man’ spotted in mountains[REVEAL]
Germany is ‘sick man of Europe’ while Brexit Britain outstrips EU giant[INSIGHT]
Met Office ‘peak hurricane’ verdict as heat blast will send temperatures soaring[ANALYSIS]
We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info
Local car dealer Robert Hötzinger told German news outlet the Münchner Merkur that 20 of his new and used cars were destroyed in the storm.
He added: “They came down like steel balls”.
Meanwhile in Kissing, also in Bavaria, the wind ripped wooden slats off the roof of a home for the elderly, while hail caused visible damage to the facade of a residential building, German news agency dpa reported.
A total of 12 people were injured in the town when a beer tent that they were trying to put up was blown over.
Meanwhile 10 more people were injured by flying debris when a storm hit a gathering of motorbikers in Nördlingen, Bavaria, with three of them rushed to hospital.
Severaly regional rail services have cancelled trains due to collapsed trees.
Rail operator Deutsche Bahn reported the city train in the Bavarian capital, Munich, was completely shut down during the night and some sections were still closed on Friday morning, while police were called to multiple instances of flooding.
German weather service DWD warns of continuous rain until at least Tuesday, August 29. Flood warnings are in place for much of southern Germany.
Source: Read Full Article