George

I heard on the news today that there was flooding in Barvaria. Does anyone know anything about it? I'm going to be in Munich next week and wondering if I might have problems. <BR>

Bob Brown

I scanned the German news reports just now and there are articles about flooding dangers. I cannot comment specifically on Munich, but the Isar is very high and several men have drowned in it recently. As for Bavaria as a whole, some 10,000 people have been affected by the flooding. There have been heavy thunder storms coupled with warmer temperatures that are causing the extra heavy snow pack to melt quickly. Lake Constance, Der Bodensee in German, has reached a 100 year high water mark, with the high water marker 2 meters higher than normal, which indicates that there will be prolonged flooding as the lake drains. The authorities expect the water levels on all rivers in the area to go higher. The Danube, Isar, and the Rhine will all have higher water. <BR>When you look at the size of the lake and the fact that the water meter is about 6 feet, 7 inches above normal levels, that is a heck of a lot of water that will have to go somewhere. <BR>My feeling is that downtown Munich will be above high water, but I don't know that for a fact. Afterall, I live in Georgia and around Albany a couple of years ago, the city had major problems with flooding when water reached a 500 year high. Much of the town was under water. I wish I could be more specific, but I will keep my eye on the German news reports and let you know as soon as I hear something. Email me directly at the address shown above, and I will be happy to summarize any news reports, translate them, and send them to you. So contact me. I get the reports on the same server I use for email.

Ron

There is a detailed comment on this topic from a Munich resident on the Thorntree forum: <BR> <BR>http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...est/topics.htm <BR> <BR>It is about item 40 on that forum.

Bob Brown

I looked at the site referenced in the above post. I searched from the top of the page all the way down to the messages with dates well before the original message was posted. I found no comments on German weather. The only thing I found was a question. There were no comments. <BR>So just where is that lengthy remark? <BR>I failed to find it. <BR>

Ron

You find the comment by clicking on: "follow this topic...." after the question. Anyway, here is the reply I was referencing, so you don't have to go back there: <BR> <BR>Seen from Munich Added by: Clemens ([email protected]) <BR>[Timestamp: Wed 26 May, 3:36 Tasmanian Standard Time] <BR>The flooding is the worst one for more than a century and if <BR>there were no lakes in the south of Bavaria, it would have <BR>been even worse. <BR>Garmisch was not accessible overland for two days. Now the <BR>road is open again, but don't expect it to be in excellent <BR>condition. The rail is closed until Friday. <BR>Several roads are still closed, especially bridges over <BR>Ammer, Iller and Donau, and more or less narrow roads in <BR>mountains valleys. So are the border crossings at <BR>Garmisch-Griesen (to Ehrwald) and Achenpaß (Lengries-Achen- <BR>see). <BR>In several regions drinkwater must be boiled for at least 10 <BR>minutes; I know of Garmisch, Fürstenfeldbruck, Icking, the <BR>complete southern Allgäu (Füssen,Kempten,Sonthofen,Immen- <BR>stadt,Oberstdorf), Icking near Munich and some villages in <BR>the valley of the Inn. <BR>There are some places without electricity, at least until <BR>tomorrow, 26 may. <BR>Munich is safe, and you may watch the Isar as such an river <BR>as its name promises: a torrent. <BR>- <BR>For further information e-mail me, but I won't read my mail <BR>before 27 may, noon. <BR> <BR> <BR>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <BR>

kerstin

I just got a mail from a friend living in Munich. It has been quite catastrophic in some areas of Bavaria, but since today it comes back to normal. For Munich itself there is no problem. They have high water levels but no flooding in the town at all. So I suppose you will not have any problems. <BR> <BR>Good trip, <BR> <BR>Kerstin