We live along the river Main where we are experiencing flooding at the moment. This whole phenomenon has either been quite fascinating for me because I've never experienced one before or else I've lived here so long I've become obsessed with the weather like the rest of the Germans.
Although I'd like to report high drama with volunteers filling sandbags, that's not the case. It seems the locals have this pretty much under control and expect this type of problem since tons of real estate has been sitting directly on the river banks for hundreds of years.
We drove into Wuerzburg last night (while we could still use the B13 - today our route is flooded). The city had installed metal walls blockading certain routes and closing off the stone city walls, trasforming into a solid barrier against the water.
People crowded the Alte Main Brucke which is the oldest river crossing. It's a beautiful historic bridge that's managed to survive the World Wars. Locals and tourists alike were leaned over in awe of the lock that had disappeared from view and the raging water. Everybody was flashing cameras and cell phones, shaking heads in disbelief while huge chucks of natural debris roiled and swept beneath the scene.
One car was attempting to drive through a closed route, like the German Don Quixote in a white Volvo. I was hoping for a stalled vehicle and a chopper rescue, but he just turned around instead.
So far a bit anti-climatic for my first natural disaster but then again a lot easier to blog and enjoy than the type that requires emergency units and soldiers. Obviously, stay the hell away from the violent water. Keep your kids reeled in and don't take any exits marked "Hochwasser" unless you have one of those cars that magically turns into a boat.
Beautiful pictures even if it is of a bad event. Stay safe and dry!
Posted by: Anne | January 12, 2011 at 12:13 AM
Oh my goodness, I didn't realize that Germany was going through this right now (must start reading news again!). Keep safe while taking photos :)
Posted by: Veronika | January 12, 2011 at 09:00 AM
Dearest sweet TJ, oh no!! I was watching this news over at German TV with my mister. I only found out how bad the flooding is at Germany. My mister's area, hamburg is not affected but i do hope you stay safe and dry!! Sending you lots of love to you and yours!
Posted by: Jacqueline | January 12, 2011 at 09:18 AM
Never fear my arty peeps. There's really not a lot of danger and I've got serious respect for the current in that water. It's more worrying for the kids who don't really understand it's not the "normal" river right now... thanks for the comments!!
Posted by: TJ | January 12, 2011 at 05:50 PM
Hi TJ,
quite fascinating, isn`t it ? :)
But we are used to live with those flood waters.
And that, I think, is the handle - that sense of inevitable victory over the forces of nature. Not in any mean or military sense; we just learned where to put our walls and the human ingenuity would simply prevail.
We have all the momentum; we are walking the edge of a high and beautiful wave :) (Okay that may have been a little to much :D)
But as long as you live here, from now on, you can go up on a hill in Würzburg and with the right kind of eyes you can almost see the high-water marks - that place where the wave finally broke and rolled back to normality.
Cheers,
Phil.
Posted by: Philipp | January 12, 2011 at 09:07 PM
Those photos are amazing. It seems the whole world is having crazy weather right now. Here in Florida, we're in the middle of a drought, but nothing dramatic. Good luck.
Posted by: Suzanne | January 14, 2011 at 07:04 PM
Yes, the waters were rising here in the Netherlands as well. The little ferry could not sail to Tiel.
The water has risen up untill a few meters under the 'winter dyke', and some houses near the river are flooded. But the people there know this and have always a little boat to go ashore!
I am glad though to keep my feet dry! :-)
Posted by: Jacqueline | January 25, 2011 at 08:28 PM