Winter chaos in the Märkisches Kreis: Police warn of further dangers!

On January 11, 2025, authorities in the Märkischer Kreis struggled with significant problems caused by heavy snowfall. The police reported numerous accidents on slippery roads, with property damage estimated to be in the six-figure range. Due to a truck getting stuck at the Lüdenscheid-Nord exit, a recovery vehicle was busy clearing the A45 for hours, which was blocked as a result.

The winter services were in constant use to clear the roads of snow and ice. The B236 between Plettenberg and Finnentrop initially remained closed due to fallen trees, but has now been reopened. Closures still apply to Altenaer Straße in Lüdenscheid and Grüne Talstraße in Iserlohn. According to the fire brigade, the greatest danger in the region is snowfall. Although the official danger warning was lifted, the fire brigade continued to warn of possible risks.

Accidents and impact on traffic

During the night there was frost, which increased the snow load on trees and resulted in further falls. A serious accident involving three vehicles occurred in Kierspe, in which two people had to be taken to hospital. The property damage amounted to around 20,000 euros. The police had already registered 214 snow-related operations since Wednesday evening.

In addition, several schools in Lüdenscheid canceled face-to-face teaching and instead conducted distance learning. The Märkische Verkehrsgesellschaft (MVG) stopped bus services on Thursday; Operations are scheduled to resume on Friday, although delays and cancellations are to be expected. Delays and possible cancellations are also to be expected in rail transport, as shown on spiegel.de was reported.