Fire Departments Experiencing 760 Disruptions, S-Train Services Remain Halting
Stormy Chaos in Berlin and Brandenburg:
Another tempest struck Berlin and Brandenburg, causing havoc on Thursday. The S-Bahn network in the capital was temporarily halted, marking the second such event this week. Now, the clean-up begins amidst extensive damage.
Following the storm on Thursday evening, the fire department grapples with a mountainous cleanup task. With over 760 weather-related deployments, as reported on Friday morning, the damage caused by gusty winds will take time to address. The recovery efforts continue throughout Friday.
Earlier in the week, similar storms brought chaos to Berlin. However, the fire department spokesperson stated that there was more work to be done following Thursday's tempest. By early morning alone, there were more deployments than registered within 24 hours after the storm on Monday.
A Forest of Downed Trees:
In the northern districts, numerous streets are virtually impassable due to fallen trees. For example, around 16 trees toppled close together in Konradshöhe, according to the spokesperson.
S-Bahn Struck Again:
Berlin's S-Bahn network faced another suspension due to the storm. Trees and branches fell onto the tracks, causing havoc. By the evening, operations resumed on most lines. However, many route sections in the north remained closed at the start of service on Friday.
Several lines, such as S1, S8, S25, S26, and S85, witnessed disruptions. Replacement buses will operate north of Tegel and Schöneholz stations initially. Further south, lines S3 and S9 ended at Charlottenburg.
Injuries Abound:
In Potsdam, a woman was critically injured when she and a man were struck by a falling tree branch while cycling in Neuer Garten. The man also sustained severe injuries. The Berlin fire department reported three severely injured individuals due to the storm.
Volunteers Come to the Rescue:
Notably, across the affected areas, there were numerous displays of public helpfulness. Exhausted deployment forces were often offered water or coffee. There were also many local volunteers supporting the recovery efforts, as the fire department reported on Friday morning.
Tegeler Forest Closed:
The Tegeler Forest witnessed significant damage, with many paths blocked by fallen trees and branches, making them barely passable. Due to the risk of more trees toppling, the Senate Administration for the Environment temporarily closed the forest.
This isn't the first time the Berlin Fire Department has faced such challenges. Just a few days ago, on Monday, they were in continuous operation due to severe storm gusts. During this storm, a tree slammed into a car in the Spandau Forest, claiming the life of a 55-year-old woman inside. The S-Bahn service was also halted for several hours, causing disruptions to regional and long-distance trains. The Deutsche Wetterdienst (DWD) had already issued a warning for high winds on Sunday.
For Thursday, the DWD had issued a severe weather warning for large parts of Brandenburg and Berlin, anticipating hurricane-force gusts of up to 110 kilometers per hour. However, the DWD measured wind speeds around 95 kilometers per hour in Berlin in the evening.
- In the realm of general news, the Berlin Fire Department faces a crucial challenge as they grapple with cleaning up after the stormy chaos, having attended over 760 weather-related deployments, with more work needed than the previous storm on Monday.
- Amidst the stormy events in political affairs, numerous street accidents occurred due to fallen trees in the northern districts like Konradshöhe, with line S-Bahn also temporarily halted, causing inhabitants to turn to replacement buses for commuting.
- Crime-and-justice reports revealed that a woman was critically injured in Potsdam when a tree branch fell on her and her companion while cycling, signifying the unforeseen dangers the recent storm posed beyond just property damage.
