New natural hazard portal: Increase security for Offenbach's citizens!

New natural hazard portal: Increase security for Offenbach's citizens!

On April 12, 2025, a new natural hazard portal was unlocked by the German Weather Service (DWD) in Offenbach. This portal is a direct reaction to the devastating flood disaster in the Ahr Valley in July 2021, which has severely affected many people and regions. The aim of the portal is to inform the citizens about weather extreme and hydrological dangers at an early stage in order to improve the safety of the population. The portal can be reached at www.naturgahrenportal.de

The DWD emphasizes that the focus of the portal is currently on hydrological dangers. In the near future, however, extensions are planned to cover other natural hazards such as ozone pollution, forest fires, drought, avalanches and earthquakes. Sarah Jones, President of the DWD, emphasized that the portal is only the first stage of expansion and that user experiences are happy to be requested to improve and further develop the offer.

comprehensive information and warnings

The natural hazard portal offers users street -precise weather forecasts as well as information about endangered areas, escape routes and preventive measures. Current warnings include thunderstorms, heavy rain, heat, floods and storm surges for all federal states. Push warnings are sent out via the modular warning system (Mowas) to quickly reach the population. The website is bilingual and does not require registration or registration, which makes access easier.

A central feature of the portal is the interactive map, which shows current warnings in four dyes (yellow, ocher, red, violet). Users can query specific data for their local conditions. This is made possible by precise risk analyzes that are created by the DWD in cooperation with several federal authorities, including the Federal Office for Population Protection and the Federal Office for Sea shipping and hydrography. Ten federal states have already agreed in an agreement to supply the DWD with local data, including not Berlin, Brandenburg and Bavaria, which have not yet joined. However, Rhineland-Palatinate and Thuringia are in the process of preparing their accession.

A new standard for weather warnings

The importance of the natural hazard portal is also emphasized by Volker Wissing, the Federal Minister of Digital and Transport. He expressed hope that this portal can make the life of society safer. Furthermore, Copernicus reported that the warmest year since the beginning of the weather recording was in 2024 with a global average temperature of 15.1 degrees Celsius. This is also seen as a factor in the forecast of the DWD, which expects that the average temperature in Germany could increase by two to four degrees by the end of the century. This could lead to an increase in extreme weather events.

The natural hazard portal is not only an informative platform, but also an important tool in order to better prepare the population for upcoming natural hazards. [ZDF] reports that the comprehensive provision of information and recommendations for nature for natural hazards can make a decisive difference in the reaction and preparation of the citizens.