Low "Manja" is causing stormy weather - VW drunk! Woman rescued on car roof

Low pressure system “Manja” swept across northern Germany over the weekend, bringing severe storms and storm surges that caused flooding in coastal areas and major cities. While police authorities in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Lower Saxony, Bremen, and Mecklenburg-Vorpommern reported few major incidents and no serious accidents or injuries, local fire departments handled numerous calls for flooded streets, parking lots, and downed trees. A new warning issued by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency predicts another surge at midday and afternoon along wide sections of the North Sea coast. The weather system moved through the region during the night, with the highest water levels recorded in Hamburg reaching 4.3 meters above zero. In the HafenCity district, a woman driving a Volkswagen became trapped in a flooded railway underpass. As the water rose until the car was completely submerged, she climbed onto the roof to escape. Firefighters rescued her, and officials stated the vehicle would be recovered by a towing service once the waters receded. Similar scenes unfolded at the Altona Fish Market, which stood underwater as expected, requiring several cars to be towed away. Incidents were not limited to Hamburg. In Elsfleth, located in the Wesermarsch district of Lower Saxony, firefighters and the German Life Saving Service rescued a person who had fallen asleep inside a car surrounded by high water. The individual remained uninjured but suffered from hypothermia. On a hallig island off the west coast, another woman found herself stuck in her vehicle amidst rising waters. In Cuxhaven and Wilhelmshaven, floodwaters spilled into harbor areas near the shore. Video footage from Dagebüll in North Frisia showed waves crashing against the coastline and submerging roads. Maritime operations faced significant disruptions due to the stormy conditions. In Bremerhaven, the cruise ship Mein Schiff 3 departed despite the gale-force winds. According to police reports, strong gusts caught the vessel while it was leaving the port, causing it to drift toward two container ships. The collision occurred when 3,350 people were aboard. Reports indicate the hull of one freighter was breached in the impact. Rail traffic was also affected in Stade, where a tree blown onto the tracks forced a subway train carrying 155 passengers to halt for approximately two hours. The train scraped past the obstacle, but no injuries were reported. Damage to infrastructure varied across the region. In Meldorf, within the Dithmarschen district, the roof of a single-family home was partially torn off by the wind. Earlier on Sunday afternoon, a catamaran capsized in Kiel Bay, resulting in one rescue. In Itzehoe, a driver crashed into a fallen tree. Police control centers noted that while heavy damage was avoided in many areas, crews spent time clearing broken branches and managing localized flooding. Transport links to the East Frisian Islands remain restricted throughout Monday. Ferry connections to Helgoland from Cuxhaven using the vessels MS Helgoland and Nordlicht have been cancelled entirely. Traffic to and from the Halligen islands has stopped completely. Services to Föhr and Amrum face schedule changes, with specific departures at 9:30 AM for Föhr and 12:05 PM for Dagebüll suspended. Other trips have been shifted or added. For Baltrum, regular line services are expected to operate, though the shipping company warns of potential last-minute changes and notes that access to Nessmersiel harbor is still impaired. Single cancellations affect routes to Norderney and Langeoog, while ferry traffic to Wangerooge has been halted for the day. The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency detailed the expected surge magnitudes. At the East Frisian coast, high tides will run one to 1.5 meters above average. In the Weser and Elbe regions, the increase is projected at roughly 1.5 meters. Along the North Frisian coast, water levels could rise 1.5 to 2 meters higher than normal. Authorities advised residents in low-lying and river-adjacent areas to prepare for further rises in water levels during the coming hours.