Sturmchaos in the Tegeler Forst: thousands of trees uprooted and danger to life!

Sturmchaos in the Tegeler Forst: thousands of trees uprooted and danger to life!

On Thursday evening, June 26, a devastating storm occurred in the Berlin Tegel Forest, which caused massive damage to the vegetation there. According to [berlin.de] (https://www.berlin.de/sen/uvk/Pressemitteilungen/2025/Pressemage department. The streets and paths in the forest are blocked due to fallen trees, which means that an exact situation assessment is currently not possible.

The situation is exacerbated by acute danger to life by falling branches and overturning trees. Entering the Tegeler Forst is prohibited until further notice, and the authorities urge to enter the forests and parks. The fire brigade is in a state of emergency and has made around 580 due to the weather. Among the injured are two seriously injured people, one of them was hit by a tree and fell into a ditch while another man was caught in his car when a tree fell on the vehicle. Initial security and clean-up work have started, but could take weeks, according to the [maz-online.de] (https://www.maz-online.de/berlin/tegeler- after-unwetter-geter-fämpe-baeume-entwurzelt-lebensfahr-in-berlins-nordwesten-qlx5luz5revzo4reUCV3HPU.HTML).

consequences of the storm

The storm damage concern both needle and deciduous trees, including oak, beech and birch. Many of the trees affected were fully robbed, which enlarged the attack surface for the storm. At a time, during the drought years, the stability of the trees has also been reduced, which reinforces the tendency towards branches of the damaged tree species.

The effects of the storm are not limited to the Tegeler Forst. In the surrounding areas such as Konradshöhe and Müllerstrasse, there were reports on fallen trees that fell on parked vehicles. People also had to be saved by fallen boats on Berlin waters. The rail traffic, including S-Bahn, regional and long-distance trains, was considerably disturbed, and corresponding warnings of the German Weather Service of severe gusts of wind were issued.

long -term challenges

The increase in storms not only presents Berlin, but also other regions with great challenges. In Switzerland, for example, studies show that the number and severity of such storms have increased in the past 50 years. Storms cause considerable damage to forests, and similar problems could also occur in Germany, especially if you consider the weaker trees due to dryness and other stress factors. The wooden transport of damaged trees is complex and often expensive, which is a burden on forest companies.