Rain, rain, nothing but rain. The persistent rainfall from Friday to Sunday has caused river levels to rise throughout Baden-Württemberg – even in the district of Ludwigsburg there is some dramatic flooding. A trip along the Neckar on Sunday illustrates the damage, worries – but also a certain calm.

On Sunday afternoon, dozens of passers-by gathered on the banks of the Rems, some drivers stopped briefly to take a photo from the driver’s seat of the raging river that normally flows so peacefully through the town. “I’m still relatively relaxed,” says a woman who does not want her name to appear in the newspaper. She was born in Neckarrems, lives right on the river, and has already experienced the floods of 1987 and 2013. She does not believe that the water will rise over the riverbank. This is also because a lot has been done in the region to protect against flooding, “you have to give them credit for that,” says the Neckarrems resident. The people who have lived in the town for a long time know this, says the woman. But she notices that the newcomers are afraid and some have started to protect their houses from the water.

In contrast to Neckarrems, some streets in Hoheneck were under water on Sunday afternoon. For example, the Otto-Konz-Weg, which leads to the outdoor pool. The Uferstüble beer garden was also partially flooded. He was panicked on Saturday and hardly slept at night, says Uferstüble operator Orhan Özbagci. “But the mood is better now.” His beer garden is open again on Sunday because only the lower part of the restaurant area is flooded. His huge terrace with heavy wooden tables and the bar remained dry. Now only the cellar needs to be pumped out, as the groundwater is pushing up there. “The fire brigade was on the scene very quickly,” says Özbagci.

Members of the Marbach Rowing Club spent the whole night at their clubhouse on the Neckar trying to pump out the masses of water. First the river receded, then the water level rose again in the early morning, only to fall again at midday. One of the boathouses is under water, but that’s not a big deal, says club member Heike Breitenbücher. “We just have to clean it – and the area in front of it too, because otherwise the mud will turn like cement.” The canoe club has its clubhouse about 100 meters from the boathouse. Night watchmen held the fort there too. However, at around 6.30 a.m. on Sunday morning, they lowered the sails and turned off the pumps. What is particularly bitter is that the club is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. An open day with a big festival program is planned for June 8th.

Panagiotis “Pana” Cherakis also runs his restaurant and beer garden “Bootshaus” on the banks of the Neckar in Marbach. He was lucky, the water rose to the edge of the building, but then receded again. The last flood he remembers was in 2013 – “that was extreme, but this one is really bad too.”

He then says that he doesn’t believe the water will rise again. “I’m optimistic. I’ll be serving gyros and beer here again tomorrow at 11:30 a.m.”

At the weekend, Benningen can only be reached from Hoheneck via Ludwigsburger Strasse. All other roads into the town are closed. The sports field is partially under water, as is the industrial estate.

“The Epple company was able to clear everything out and the animals that are housed in stables in the area are also safe,” said District Administrator Dietmar Allgaier on Sunday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Lila Logistik halls have remained dry, says Managing Director Michael Müller. A flood wall protects the industrial area and the neighboring residents.

In Freiberg, the Neckar really made room on Sunday afternoon. The river flooded allotments and fields. There was hardly anything left to see of the headland between the Altneckar and the Neckar. The Wasen sports park, however, with the pitch for the Belgian national team, remained dry.

Two dozen people gathered on the Neckar Bridge in the direction of Pleidelsheim in the afternoon. One man was calm and said: “Every ten years we get one here.” Another looked worriedly up at the sky; he had read that there would be heavy rain. The main topic, however, was the negligence of some people. On Saturday, children were playing very close to the water and the parents did not intervene, according to the Freibergers. District fire chief Andy Dorroch also reported this and warned against approaching the water on foot, by bike or by car: “You are putting your life in absolute danger by doing this; we will not be able to save the people.”

By Emanuel Hege

The original of this article ““This is really intense”: Journey along the Neckar reveals optimism and concern” comes from STUTTGARTER ZEITUNG.