Luxembourg City Officials Provide Update on Flood Response

On the afternoon of Tuesday 9 September 2025, at 15:00, Luxembourg City officials held a press conference to provide new details on the previous night's severe flooding and to outline the next steps.

As Chief Alderman Maurice Bauer explained to Chronicle.lu, intense rainfall had triggered substantial flooding across the city, activating emergency response teams to manage 89 incidents. These included ten incidents related to fallen trees and 79 cases of flooded garages, cellars, houses and other locations. The fire brigade and police acted promptly, significantly reducing potential damage. No one was injured, a fact that Mr Bauer described as "the only positive aspect" of the situation.

"We have now to take the conclusions out of this," Mr Bauer said. Turning to infrastructure concerns, he acknowledged that the city's water evacuation system may have sustained damage during the storm. He confirmed that detailed inspections are underway to assess its integrity and determine necessary repairs or upgrades to prevent future strain during heavy rainfall.

Speaking at the press conference, Mayor Lydie Polfer described the situation as "exceptional", though "far away" from the devastating floods of July 2021. She recalled that this previous disaster had contributed to the creation of a dedicated crisis unit ("Cellule de crise"), which was activated on Tuesday afternoon to coordinate emergency responses. Teams came together quickly to analyse the situation, identify where interventions were necessary and coordinate action.

Mayor Polfer noted that some areas of the capital saw up to 128 litres of rainfall per square metre. Some districts were hit harder than others, for example Cents and Limpertsberg, while Grund was less affected this time round. Regarding the Schueberfouer funfair in Glacis (Limpertsberg), officials decided to close the rides around 22:00-23:00 due to worsening weather conditions.

The mayor stressed the need to continue efforts to tackle severe weather phenomena, with the capital working together with the State on a flood plan. She noted that the capital has worked intensely to raise awareness and keep the public informed.

At the national level, the Joint Operational Command Post (Poste de commandement opérationnel commun - PCO-C) issued an updated report on the heavy rainfall and flooding. MeteoLux and the Water Management Administration (AGE) measured record rainfall levels: 149 l/m² in Mersch and 123 l/m² at Findel within twelve hours.

The severe weather triggered a large-scale mobilisation of rescue and security services, with the Grand Ducal Fire and Rescue Corps (CGDIS) carrying out 392 interventions across 24 municipalities, bringing twelve people to safety and rehousing three others. The Grand Ducal Police responded to 30 incidents and 70 emergency calls. Meanwhile, the National Roads Administration responded to 47 incidents, mainly related to fallen trees, flooding and landslides, affecting around 50 road sections, mostly in and around Luxembourg City.

Hydrological monitoring indicates that water levels remain high in several rivers, particularly the Alzette, which may still rise slightly before beginning a gradual decline. While the AGE had lifted flood alerts for the north of the country, the south remained under red/orange alert for most of Tuesday; this has since been lifted as well.

EO/JCA

(Photos of Luxembourg-Clausen; Credit: Ali Sahib, Chronicle.lu)