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Storm “Gisela” caused water levels in the Baltic Sea to rise significantly. Shipping companies stopped their ferry operations, people secured their houses near the port.
Storm “Gisela” caused flooding in several cities on the Baltic coast. Parts of Stralsund harbor, for example, were already under water in the morning. “The level rises about one centimeter every ten minutes,” said a spokesman for the city. The water was one meter above normal, 20 centimeters were still expected. Homeowners near the port secured them as a precaution. In Rostock-Warnemünde, the water spilled onto the central pier.
In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the flooding peaked Wednesday night. It brought water levels from one meter to just under 1.40 meters above normal, said meteorologist Stefan Kreibohm of the Hiddensee weather station.
Parts of the Travemünde promenade flooded
In Lübeck and Travemünde, the Trave reached a water level of almost 6.10 meters in the afternoon. As a result, the Obertrave street in the old town of Lübeck and parts of the Travemünde promenade were flooded. According to the Waterways and Shipping Office, the normal water level is five meters.
Some of the shipping companies discontinued their ferry operations, for example from Travemünde to the Priwall peninsula or from Stralsund to the island of Hiddensee. Regardless of the storm, many tourists, bundled up, enjoyed the natural spectacle on the partially flooded beaches or photographed the meter-high waves on the pier. The owners of the cutters and fishing boats rechecked the lines.
A sailboat sails through the waves in the bay of Travemünde. A storm surge has been announced for the entire German Baltic Sea coast since Wednesday afternoon. (Source: Bodo Marks / dpa)
The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) left the storm surge warning in place for Thursday night. Consequently, it was to be expected up to 1.20 meters above the mean water level on the entire German Baltic Sea coast. In the bay of Lübeck and Wismar and in Greifswalder Bodden, up to 1.40 meters above mean water level are possible.
“It’s not dramatic,” Kreibohm said. Accidents with injuries and significant damage were initially unknown.
Until at least the weekend, meteorologists from the German Weather Service (DWD) expect rain in Germany. Especially in the Harz Mountains, 50 liters per square meter could fall on Thursday, and on Friday the rain will be concentrated in the south.
