Hurricane Joshua” rages: storm surge and chaos on the Elbe!

Hurricane Joshua” rages: storm surge and chaos on the Elbe!

The north of Germany is currently struggling with the storm “Joshua”, which is bringing strong gusts of wind and storm surges. The effects are already clearly noticeable in the region around the Stade district. Loud Daily newspaper Wind speeds of up to 120 km/h are sweeping across towns and villages, while storm surge warnings have been issued for the North Sea coast and the Elbe area.

Low-lying places on the Elbe, where flooding has already occurred, are particularly affected. The Lühe ferry pier is under water, and the dike road in Stadersand is also threatened by the floods. Onlookers have gathered at the Elbe dike to observe the natural spectacle. Fortunately, residents were able to get their cars and food stalls to safety in time.

Red alert for coastal regions

Meteorologist Tanja Egerer reported gusts of up to 108 km/h in the north, which means a serious weather warning for the coming hours. Winds of up to 80 km/h can be expected inland, and even stronger at higher altitudes such as the Harz Mountains. The storm surge is expected to peak around 6:30 p.m., with water levels expected to rise up to 2 meters above average, it said daily news.

Deutsche Bahn has already reported disruptions to long-distance traffic, particularly on the Hanover-Kassel-Frankfurt route. The ADAC also warns of dangerous traffic situations, especially in forest areas. In Düsseldorf, for example, a huge tree fell on a street and damaged several parked cars and a residential building, but fortunately there were no injuries.

Lifeline underwater

Marine areas are also severely affected. Storms regularly become a challenge on the North Sea coast, especially in the autumn season. These storm surges are not without risk; but as the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) explains, they are a typical phenomenon in autumn. Nevertheless, climate change poses new challenges in coastal protection. In 2023, the Baltic Sea coast experienced the worst storm surge in 150 years, which brought back memories for many residents. Many houses were flooded and enormous property damage was recorded Deutschlandfunk.

The storm surges and the associated flooding make coastal protection measures in the region all the more relevant. Because storm surges are caused by strong winds pushing water against the coast, many dikes and natural barriers are pushed to their limits. Experts say these dikes should be built higher or even moved further inland to protect coastal populations.

In St. Peter-Ording, for example, the beach parking spaces are closed due to flooding, and the pier is also not usable. The situation remains tense as the storm continues to move through the region and moves on to Denmark on Saturday night. Observations show that the likelihood of storm surges could increase due to climate change, further worrying residents.