Police said four people were dead and 30 missing around the wine-growing hub of Ahrweiler, south of Bonn, after the Ahr river, which flows into the Rhine, burst its banks, bringing down the houses. Around 50 were stranded on roofs, and more houses were at risk of collapse.
"There are many places where fire brigades and rescue workers have been deployed. We don't yet have a very precise picture because rescue measures are continuing," a police spokesperson said.
Two firefighters died in the Sauerland region, northeast of Bonn, on Wednesday, police said. The news agency DPA said one had drowned and a second had collapsed after a rescue operation.
Rail and road transport were disrupted, and shipping on the Rhine, an important trade artery, was suspended.
More heavy rain was due in southwestern Germany, on the upper reaches of the German Rhine, on Thursday and Friday, the German Weather Service said.
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Climate change has arrived in Germany,” said the environment minister, Svenja Schulze. “The events show with what force the consequences of climate change can affect us all, and how important it is for us to adjust to extreme weather events in the future.”