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Police officers have to remove the tree from the road. © Christian Butt/Nord-West-Media TV
Floods on roads, thunderstorms and restrictions on rail traffic. Storms hit Lower Saxony and Bremen hard this evening.
Update, 7:51 p.m.: According to its own information, the fire brigade in the Oldenburg district has responded to at least 50 weather-related operations. An “unexpectedly severe storm” hit the region in the afternoon, according to a statement in the evening. The storm reached the district with enormous intensity, causing a lot of damage.
According to the fire department, trees were uprooted, large branches broke off, and streets, basements and sidewalks were flooded. Some cars were also hit, although it was not initially known whether anyone was injured.
Train is hit by falling tree – passengers cannot continue their journey
The affected area extended across the entire northern part of the Oldenburg district, including the communities of Hatten, Hude and Wardenburg. The community of Großenkneten was also partially affected.
In Wüsting, for example, a train was reportedly hit by a falling tree. The train, which was full of passengers, came to a stop and could not continue its journey immediately. The passengers had to remain in the train for a short time until the fire brigade removed the tree and the journey could continue.
Trees crash into truck – access to the accident site difficult
Another serious incident occurred in Hude on the Holler Landstrasse, where several trees fell. A truck was hit by the falling trees and, according to initial reports, the driver was trapped in his vehicle. The numerous trees initially made access to the accident site difficult. This led to the Oldenburg control center sending several vehicles to the scene in a star pattern to ensure that help could be provided quickly. After around 20 minutes, the crew of an ambulance was able to give the all-clear: the driver was freed and remained uninjured.
In the municipality of Hude, a gas pipeline was also damaged by the storm. The fire department worked together with the network operator to avert the danger. The fire departments of the Oldenburg district are still on duty to deal with the numerous damaged areas and secure dangerous areas. The fire department recommends that residents continue to exercise caution in the affected areas.
Mudslide rolls towards village in Diepholz district
According to the news agency Nonstop News, the Diepholz district was also affected by the severe storms in the evening. According to the report, after the long-lasting heavy rain in Ristedt, water and earth flowed down a slope and caused a mudslide. The avalanche then made its way through the small town. Some of the drivers turned around, others tried to drive through anyway.
Update, 7:01 p.m.: As our reporter on site reported, the storms are also affecting rail traffic. Fallen trees are causing delays and partial cancellations between Oldenburg and Hude. Instead, buses are running as a shuttle service, Deutsche Bahn announced in the evening.
The restrictions are announced on the Deutsche Bahn information board. © Marvin Köhnken
Tree falls on A27 – traffic disruptions in the evening between Achim-Ost and Langwedel
Update, 6:50 p.m.: During a storm, a tree fell onto the road on the A27 between the Achim-Ost and Langwedel junctions. The branches blocked the southbound lane, the news agency Nord-West-Media TV reported in the evening. The police cordoned off the A27 in the affected area.
A reporter from our editorial team also reported on restrictions in rail and private transport in Bremen. According to the report, several streets were flooded by the masses of water.
Streets in Bremen Überstadt are also flooded by the heavy rain. © Marvin Köhnken
First report from September 4, as of 6:33 p.m.:
Oldenburg – The German Weather Service issued severe weather warnings for several districts in Lower Saxony and Bremen on Wednesday afternoon (4 September). According to the news agency Nord-West-Media TV Thunderstorm: Streets were suddenly under water and the drains could no longer cope with the heavy rain. According to reports, the basement of the public prosecutor’s office branch in Oldenburg, where files and evidence are stored, was also affected. The extent of the damage was initially unclear.
The fire brigade is in constant operation in the Oldenburg region this evening. © Kai Moorschlatt/Nord-West-Media TV
According to the news agency, the city center was particularly affected by the storms. Numerous streets there were flooded and traffic was almost paralyzed in some places. “The Oldenburg fire brigade was in constant operation and had its hands full dealing with the numerous emergency sites,” the agency said.
Public transport in Bremen affected by heavy rain
The sky also darkened in Bremen. The Bremen tram (BASG) announced on platform X in the evening that there were several disruptions due to flooded streets.
According to BSAG, the Zepellin Tunnel area was affected, where line 10 only runs between Gröpelingen and (H.) Benningsenstraße due to the storm and is diverted from there to the Weserwehr. In addition, lines 6, 8 and 24 are closed in both directions in the Gustav-Deetjen Tunnel area.
