© Domingos Oliveira
Emergency crews responded to over 800 calls overnight as intense rainfall and flooding swept across Luxembourg, though officials stated the country had "got off lightly" with no serious injuries reported.
Following heavy rainfall and floods that struck Luxembourg on Monday night, Minister for Home Affairs Léon Gloden stated that the country had "got off lightly."
The Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) received more than 800 emergency calls overnight, according to Colonel Tom Barnig. Minister Gloden made his assessment after visiting the National Fire and Rescue Centre in Gasperich on Tuesday morning to review the nationwide situation.
Official figures reported by the minister included approximately 400 call-outs, 856 emergency calls, and 12 people rescued from cars. Incidents ranged from numerous flooded cellars to major flooding at the new school in Bettembourg.
Minister Gloden also stressed that his department has advised the affected mayors to request further assistance if needed for the ongoing clean-up operations.
Colonel Barnig of the CGDIS elaborated on the nature of the emergencies, explaining that most call-outs were to areas hit by intense local rainfall and poor drainage. This led to water entering homes, flooding streets, washing away objects, and causing trees to fall onto roads. "These are the kinds of incidents our teams had to deal with to rectify the damage," he said.
The CGDIS expressed relief that there were no serious injuries. Barnig noted that coordination with Meteolux, the state weather service, and other authorities had been ongoing since Monday morning. He stated that the situation was monitored with regular updates, allowing Meteolux to adapt its warnings accordingly. In his view, this process effectively informed the public and enabled authorities to adjust and manage their response.
When questioned about why the LU-Alert public warning system was activated only once early in the evening and not again when the meteorological warning was upgraded from orange to red, Minister Gloden offered little explanation. "I was able to read on the RTL website and so on that it had been upgraded to red, so we received that information as well," he stated.
Colonel Barnig concluded his remarks by reiterating the importance of continued public caution, particularly near rivers where water levels remain high.
