The Christmas storm Lothar: Hurricane devastated Schwäbisch Gmünd!

The Christmas storm Lothar: Hurricane devastated Schwäbisch Gmünd!

Schwäbisch Gmünd, Deutschland - On the second Christmas day, December 26, 2024, Schwäbisch Gmünd experienced an unexpected natural disaster. The hurricane "Lothar", which quickly developed over the Biskaya, hit the region around noon with a devastating force. While most citizens still enjoyed the peace of the holidays, a storm suddenly stopped, which reached wind speeds of up to 272 km/h, which led to massive damage and panic. People stood stunned on their windows, while garden furniture, garbage can and roof tiles flew through the air, such as report from Remszeitung describes.

The fire brigade and the technical relief organization faced a rush of emergency calls and at times had to fight for their access to the operations, as fallen trees blocked streets. In this chaos, helpers were challenged to free people whose houses were cut off from uprooted trees. The rapid and brave missions of the volunteer saved numerous lives, but as a result of the orchan, at least 13 people in Baden-Württemberg were killed and hundreds of injuries suffered, often due to falling objects. The clean-up work lasted for days and the damage was estimated at the billion dollar height, such as Reports from Schwäbisch Gmünd Confirm.

tightened weather warnings and climate debate

"Lothar" triggered a comprehensive discussion about climate change and the efficiency of weather warnings. At that time, the weather services had held back strongly warning reports, which is increasingly criticized. The hurricane led to a fundamental change in weather reporting - today there are warnings days in advance that enable the population to prepare for such events and minimize damage. An unexpected storm like this, which struck on a holiday, could have led to an even higher number of victims on a normal working day.