Ostholstein's storm surge: destruction and tragedy on the coast

Ostholstein's storm surge: destruction and tragedy on the coast

On the Baltic Sea coast, the Ostholstein region experienced devastating storm surges in October 2023, which pushed ashore due to the violent wave winds. The coastal towns were not only confronted with destructive water masses, but also serious damage to buildings and infrastructure. A tragic news from the municipality of Fehmarn overshadowed the action: a 33-year-old driver died when a tree fell on her vehicle.

Some residents and vacationers felt powerless for hours, while the forces of nature are up to mischief. According to the events, the district administrator Timo Gaarz (CDU) spoke of a "flood of the century". Michael Haugrund, a resident, also described how the storm dragged its boat from the harbor to the promenade and thus caused serious damage. The night of October 21 is remembered for many.

Massive damage and protective measures

The small town of Süssau in the northeast of the circle was particularly affected, which, despite the preparatory measures such as the distribution of 150 bigpacks and sandbags, could not avert the mischief. Despite all efforts, the dike threatened to break, and the water masses flooded the streets and business. Massive damage was registered in numerous districts when the flood simply tore huge amounts of sand and beach with it.

in Heiligenhafen, Sierksdorf and Scharbeutz the water beaches, whereby the sand was even removed up to two meters high in Grömitz. Mayor Bettina Schäfer from Scharbeutz also warned of life -threatening cavities in the dunes, created by the violent currents.

The efforts to repair are underway. In Grömitz, 25,000 cubic meters of sand from the Baltic Sea have already been used to fill up. Heiligenhafen used 400 truck loads from a gravel pit, while Sierksdorf still has to wait for the implementation of a 5.5 million euro project that should be completed in spring 2025 at the latest.

Curios and historical on the beach

In addition to the destruction, there were also curious finds that aroused the interest of the population. Remains of an old department store and the remnant of military facilities were visible on the beach of Pelzerhaken. Thomas Schwarz, a connoisseur of city history, found that the exposed building rubble once belonged to the Nickel department store, which once stood nearby.

At another point, between Dahme and Kellenhusen, the remains of a more than 5000 year old Günengrabes came to light, which were documented and set up by the tourism service and the archaeological office. These discoveries not only illuminate the destructive power of nature, but also the hidden history of the region.

In particular, the fire brigade experienced a rush of missions. In October alone, 20 percent of the total of 6035 missions of the past year were eliminated to this stormy period. This number illustrates the extraordinary burden that the rescue workers had to endure during the storm surges.

The devastating storm surges on the Baltic Sea not only gave the region physical damage, but also emotional shocks. The fear of future similar natural events remains, while the cleanup and return to normality is slowly but surely progressing.