5.10 meters reached

Critical situation on Lake Constance

At the lakeside campsite in Bregenz, barbecue areas and footpaths were flooded.(Bild: N. Kinzel)

Heavy rainfall hit the Ländle region on Sunday evening and caused the level of Lake Constance to rise further. A height of 5.11 meters was measured on Monday afternoon. The critical limit has thus been reached.  

The communities bordering the lake had already been preparing for flooding since Friday. After the situation worsened during the night from Sunday to Monday, additional pumps, breakwaters and mobile dams are now being deployed around the shores of Lake Constance.

On Monday afternoon, the water level in Bregenz harbour reached 5.11 meters - over one meter higher than the long-term average. But this is not the end of the story, the highest level is not expected until Tuesday: "The water level should then be between 5.15 and 5.20 meters," says Bregenz mayor Michael Ritsch.

Bregenz is preparing for water and waves
There is no reason to panic, he says, as preparations have been made accordingly. Additional pumps were installed in the provincial capital on Monday morning and further protective dams were erected in the afternoon. A breakwater in the lake facilities, for example, is intended to protect against high waves and flooding in the event of rising westerly winds. "Another 3,000 sandbags were also filled at the building yard. We now have a total of 20,000 bags at our disposal."

The Rhine in particular is still feeding the lake with immense amounts of water, which is why the Rhine forelands have been closed as a precaution.

Heavy thunderstorms throughout the country
The heavy thunderstorms - some with hail - on Sunday evening also left their mark in other parts of the country: Several trees fell onto a path near the Dornbirn animal shelter. A mudslide occurred on the Bregenzer Fluh - and the fire departments also had to deal with numerous incidents in other municipalities, mainly due to flooded cellars.