| Date: | May 2024-ongoing |
| Location: | Germany, Austria, Hungary, Spain, France, Italy, and Switzerland |
| Cause: | Heavy rainfall |
| Reported Deaths: | 24+ (3 indirectly) |
| Missing: | 6 |
| Property Damage: | €2.2 billion (Germany) |
| Displaced: | 3,000+ (Germany) |
In May and June 2024, several European countries were affected by severe floods caused by prolonged heavy rains. Several were catastrophic, causing deaths and widespread damage due to overflowing river basins and landslides. Countries affected included Germany,[1] Austria,[2] Spain,[3] France,[4] Hungary,[5] Italy, and Switzerland.[6]
See main article: article and 2024 Germany floods. Flooding in Germany caused at least nine deaths, insured property damage of €2.2 billion, and over 3,000 displaced individuals.[7] [8] [9] [10] [11]
In May 2024, over 100 liters of rain per square meter came down in less than 24 hours over Saarland. A woman in Saarbrücken was injured during an evacuation and later died, while a Red Cross worker died following a rescue operation from heart failure.[12]
In June 2024, significant flooding struck Southern Germany, striking the most in Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. Dozens of villages had to be evacuated across Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria due to the straining and failure of several dams and dykes caused by the persistent heavy rainfall.[13] Among the rivers whose water levels significantly rose include the Danube, the Isar, the Zusam, the Weilach, the Ilm, the Paar, the Schmutter,[14] the Roth, and the Leibi.[15] Many places had more rainfall in 24 hours than their whole monthly average, and in many areas, the water reached levels that were present only "once in a century" according to the Bavarian Flood Information Service.
An inflatable rescue raft containing four firefighters capsized while evacuating citizens in Pfaffenhofen from floodwaters from the overflowing Ilm River, resulting in the death of one firefighter.[16] Another firefighter was missing, as well as a woman in Schrobenhausen which was later found dead. Carriages of a train were derailed by a landslide caused by the heavy raining near Schwaebisch Gmund. None of the 185 passengers were injured.[17]
On 4 June, a 57-year-old woman lost control with her car on a flooded road. She was later found dead. The Falkenstein Castle in Upper Bavaria partially collapsed to the north due to heavy rainfall, causing the evacuation of 50 residents under the castle complex.[18] On 5 June, a 79-year-old woman which was missing since 2 June was found dead.
Concurrently with flooding in Germany in early June, rising river levels on the Danube River reached 6.86 meters on the morning of 4 June, causing it to burst its banks in Linz, submerging areas close to the river. All river traffic along the Danube in the Lower Austria area was halted.
The flooding caused significant disruptions to the 2024 European Parliament elections, particularly in the province of Styria. The heavy rainfall rendered several polling stations in Deutschfeistritz, Hartberg-Fürstenfeld District, and Graz inaccessible or destroyed, necessitating rapid responses from local authorities to ensure that voters could still participate in the election process. In addition, The Übelbach river burst its banks due to the intense rainfall, causing mudslides that destroyed houses and washed away cars in Übelbach.[19]
Rainfall and upstream flooding from Germany and Austria caused several tidal surges along the banks of the Danube and the Rába in Hungary starting on 6 June 2024. The Danube tidal surge forced closure of the Budapest Public Road along a section of the "lower quay of Buda between Mozaik Street and Rákóczi Bridge" and a part of "the lower quay of Pest between Népfürdő Street and Közraktár Street". The "main building" of the Budapest University of Technology and Economics was closed due to elevated river levels.[20] [21]
By 10 June 2024, alerts were activated along 912.4 kilometers of river sections, with the highest degree alerts in place along 10.42 kilometers of these sections. The Rába faced record water at 4.22m at Szentgotthárd, initiating a third-degree flood alert and prompting the National Water Management Directorate (OVF) to mobilize over 400 staff members to build up extensive flood defense efforts, including placing 120,000 sandbags to construct a 2.5 km flood barrier in Körmend. The Strém and Pinka rivers nearly received the monthly rainfall average in six hours, the latter recording its highest water level ever at 5.08m in Felsőcsatár.[22]
Overflow in the Danube and Rába in turn caused several mosquito breeding sites to arise in Sopron, Debrecen, and Miskolc, requiring the National Directorate General for Disaster Management to use biological control to prevent further spread of mosquito-borne disease.
From 11 to 13 June, heavy flooding caused by torrential rain severely affected the regions of Costa Blanca, Murcia and Mallorca in Spain. Heavy flooding in Murcia prompted 113 emergency calls, requiring the local Emergency Coordination Centre to respond to 324 issues. Damage by heavy rainfalls were exacerbated by inadequate drainage and road blockages caused by fallen trees and other debris. In Calasparra, a person trapped in their car while attempting to cross a flooded road was rescued by the fire brigade and taken to the hospital with hypothermia.
In Mallorca, Storm Tamara caused 71.8 mm of rainfall in four hours at the Palma Airport, flooding its runways and leading to its temporary closure. Videos from the terminal showed floodwaters nearly reaching the bottom of airplane engines. Over 100 flights were canceled or delayed, affecting British tourists traveling to and from Gatwick, Luton, and Bristol airports. In Costa Blanca, a sudden 20-minute downpour causing hail and significant flooding, with several recorded videos showing violent waters flowing through town centers and trapped citizens in cars, producing more rain than the entire summer's average.
See main article: article and 2024 France floods. In 8–9 June, heavy rains caused flooding and mudslides across Southern France in Eauze, Montréal, and Fourcès in Gers. The flooding required over 100 fire brigade interventions.
On 29 June 2024, three people in their 70's and 80's died in Aube after the car they were traveling in was crushed by a fallen tree during intensive storms, heavy rainfall, and strong winds, with a fourth passenger requiring critical care.[23]
See main article: 2024 Switzerland floods. In late June, a series of violent thunderstorms and melting snow triggered severe flooding and landslides in southern Switzerland, resulting in the deaths of at least ten individuals, with four others reported missing, including one from Binn.[24] The cantons of Ticino and Valais in Switzerland were significantly affected. In the Ticino canton, three people lost their lives in a landslide in the Valle Maggia. Their bodies were recovered in the Fontana area of the valley. A bridge downstream from the disaster area was submerged, complicating rescue efforts. One campsite in the Valle Maggia was evacuated by helicopter, in addition to 300 participants in a local soccer tournament.[25]
Another person was reported missing in the Lavizzara side-arm of the valley. In the Valais canton, a man was found deceased in a Saas-Grund hotel, which Swiss police said was likely due to unexpected flooding exacerbated by melting snow. Another individual was reported missing in a different area in Valais.
Concurrently with the late June flooding in Switzerland, the Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont regions in Italy were impacted with significant flooding. Approximately 200 residents in the Valle d'Aosta region had to be evacuated by helicopter from their homes in Cogne due to flooding and mudslides. Around 120 people in the Piedmont region were evacuated from Alpine villages following torrential rain.