Heavy rainfall causes chaos for emergency services in South and Sønderjylland

Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms were reported across South and Sønderjylland overnight, prompting a busy night for emergency services. The Southwest Jutland Fire Department responded to nine incidents within only a few hours, with three alarms coming in just five minutes, as noted by Lenni Schmidt, an operations manager at the department. He stated, “I wouldn’t say we were under pressure, but we had a chaotic phase at the start due to overlapping incidents.”

Among the incidents was a fire in the roof of a house in Esbjerg and several instances of electrical outlets blowing out. However, there were no significant pumping operations required either overnight or this morning.

The South and Sønderjylland Police experienced a notable increase in activity as well. They reported several lightning strikes, flooded tunnels, and viaducts, as well as two traffic accidents on the Sønderborg motorway, which resulted in minor material damage.

In Grested, heavy rainfall left large puddles on the roads. Meanwhile, the Sønderjylland Fire and Rescue Service had a quieter night, with only an electric vehicle catching fire in a garage in Løgumkloster, though it is unconfirmed if the fire was weather-related. Holger Andersen, the emergency management director, revealed they received a call this morning for a fire caused by a lightning strike but had no need for pumping operations despite the rainfall.

The Danish Meteorological Institute (DMI) has issued risk warnings for challenging weather conditions across large parts of the country. Andersen remarked that the unpredictable nature of the storms makes preparation difficult, stating, “We have to take it as it comes.”