Heavy rain and thunderstorms have been causing flooding and inconvenience in several municipalities across Belgium on Friday morning. The east of the country was hit especially hard.
In Limburg, the centre of the municipality of Maasmechelen was completely underwater by 08:00 on Friday, but the heavy rainfall also disrupted traffic in several places in Genk, with the police even closing parts of the road towards Diepenbeek to traffic.
The Sint-Truiden municipality also saw its city centre flooded, as shop owners testified the water rose in no time. Problems were also reported in the Limburg municipalities of Bilzen, Riemst, Tongeren and Diepenbeek, among others: the sewers could not cope with the large amount of incoming water, resulting in flooded streets and cellars.
In the easternmost part of the Flemish Brabant province, in Zoutleeuw, the De Kaboutertjes daycare centre was evacuated preventively because of the heavy rainfall, with water later pouring in from the ceilings.
Traffic disruptions
In numerous municipalities in the Kempen region, in the northeast of Belgium, the sewers could no longer cope with the abundant water, which resulted in the flooding of many streets. The Antwerp town of Zandhoven was also hit by fall of large hailstones.
In Walloon Brabant, firefighters are overwhelmed by the large number of calls they are receiving related to the bad weather that hit their area on Friday morning. Near the municipality of Nivelles, an emergency vehicle was completely immersed in the rising water, according to local police.
Additionally, lightning struck the car park of the Nivelles central police station, preventing staff from working there. Due to flooding, a section of the Nivelles south ring road (R24) was closed to traffic between the Fontaine-l'Évêque roundabout and the police station.
Since 10:00, rail traffic has also been disrupted between Luttre and Nivelles, on the Charleroi-Brussels line. The tracks are flooded and the water has caused faults to the signalling system. Infrabel, the rail network operator, is not yet in a position to give a forecast of when traffic will be restored.
Meanwhile, the communes of Hélécine, Incourt, Jodoigne, Orp-Jauche, Perwez and Ramillies were also heavily affected, the fire service reported: the heavy thunderstorms that hit the area flooded several cellars and required a large number of roadways to be cleared of trees and branches.
