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Pan13
Lieutenant Commander
Joined: 22 Apr 2004
Posts: 338
Location: Belgium
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 Thu Jan 18, 2007 3:32 pm 10 die as fierce storm blasts northern Europe |
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| Quote: | AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) � One of the fiercest storms in years battered northern Europe Thursday, killing at least 10 people, injuring others and disrupting travel for thousands.
The storm � dubbed "Cyril" by German meteorologists � was expected to intensify throughout the day. Hurricane-force gusts of up to 118 mph blasted Germany, forcing dozens of flight cancelations, prompting the national railroad to suspend services across a swath of the country and shutting schools.
"Our country has not had a storm like this in years," the Netherlands' Royal Weather Service said in a bulletin. "We advise you to follow weather alarms and messages to the letter."
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, meanwhile, cut short her visit to Berlin in order to leave for London before winds worsened, landing in Britain's capital amid winds gusting up to 80 mph.
Traffic on the Eurostar, the train service connecting Britain with continental Europe, was suspended after an electrical cable holder fell onto the tracks near the northern French city of Lille, France's national railway company said.
In Amsterdam, bicyclists who ventured out despite warnings from the fire department were seen blown over or, in some cases, backward.
City workers trying to divert cars from fallen trees watched as the wind swept their traffic cones away. The fire department warned people to stay indoors to avoid falling roof tiles and branches, and the city's historic canals were littered with fallen trash barrels, piles of toppled bikes and dozens of broken umbrellas.
The Dutch weather service compared Thursday's gale to a 1990 storm that peaked during the afternoon commute and killed 17. It reported heavy rain and recorded gusts of 81 mph.
The first fatality Thursday was reported in Shropshire, England, where a 54-year-old man identified as Richard Heard, managing director of Birmingham Airport, was crushed in his car by a falling branch. Four others were reported killed in traffic accidents in Britain.
One man was killed on a country road in southwestern Germany when he crashed into another car as he tried to avoid a fallen tree, police in Heidelberg said.
Two people were killed by a falling tree near Arnhem, Netherlands, and one was killed the same way in Lille, France.
In Utrecht, Netherlands, a construction crane toppled onto a university building, crumpling the roof and injuring six. Later, a Dutch motorcyclist was reported killed near Utrecht after running into a fallen tree.
Outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, flags of the 25 member nations were wrapped up at half staff as a precaution.
London's Heathrow Airport, Europe's largest, canceled 123 flights. Other major airports including Frankfurt, Munich, Amsterdam and Vienna reported delays and cancellations.
At sea, coast guard ships and naval helicopters rescued the crew of a British container ship damaged and drifting in the English Channel, Britain's Coast Guard said.
Ferries were canceled or delayed in Britain, Ireland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Finland.
In Ireland and Latvia, winds kept rescue crews from helping other ships damaged or missing after storms earlier this week: seven fishermen from Ireland, Poland and Ukraine are missing and presumed dead off Ireland's coast, while Latvian rescuers were unable to attempt to salvage a Greek-owned cargo ship that ran aground Tuesday off the Baltic port of Ventspils and has been leaking oil.
A ship burst loose from its moorings near Rotterdam and smashed an oil pipeline, leaking around 10,000 barrels of oil. The stench reached The Hague, 20 miles away, Dutch media said.
On land, residents along the North Sea coast were warned to expect storm swells up to 11.5 feet higher than normal.
Gusts blew off part of Lords cricket ground's roof in London, and tore panes of glass from London Bridge railway station's roof, scattering shattered glass over the concourse. No commuters were injured, British Transport Police said, adding that most of the station had been closed as a precautionary measure.
Trains in various parts of the Netherlands, Germany and Austria also were delayed. No trains were running from Utrecht or Amsterdam central stations because of debris on the rails.
The Dutch traffic ministry urged car owners to avoid travel unless absolutely necessary, but jams were reported around the country due to fallen trees and flooded roads.
Many zoos were closed for safety.
"The security of our visitors and our animals is our highest priority," Hanover zoo director Klaus-Michael Machens said.
In the north of the Netherlands, the world's largest steam-powered mill � a UNESCO world heritage monument built in the 1920s � was fired up for the second time this year to pump excess water away from the low-lying Friesland province.
Austria's national weather service said storm winds had the potential to reach 105 mph at higher altitudes in the Alps, and officials cautioned skiers and snowboarders to get off the mountains and seek shelter well before nightfall.
In southern Europe, untouched by the storm, sunny skies and mild temperatures prevailed.
Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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and it really was (still is, the storm hasn't really stopped yet) horrible...we even didn't have to go to school because there was no way to get there/get back....too dangerous outside...
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