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Storm surge on the Baltic SeaFirst autumn storm surge causes little damage

Tom Stender

 · 19.10.2026

Storm surge on the Baltic Sea: First autumn storm surge causes little damagePhoto: picture alliance/dpa/d - Birgitta von Gyldenfeldt
Boathouses and jetties stand in the water in Flensburg.
The first autumn storm surge on the Baltic Sea passed off largely without incident at the weekend. Flooding was limited, and the emergency services control centres reported no major incidents.
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On the weekend of 17 and 18 October 2026, the first storm surge of this autumn season on the Baltic Sea hit the German coast. In some places, water levels remained below the forecast figures.

Travemünde reaches 1.25 metres above NHN

According to the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH), the water level in Lübeck-Travemünde reached 1.25 metres above mean sea level (MSL), and 1.12 metres in Flensburg. The peak was reached early on Sunday morning. The water levels then fell again along the Baltic Sea coast without causing any significant damage.

No major damage was reported from Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania either. In Greifswald, the flood defences were closed; Rostock did not reach the storm surge mark.

How wind causes water to back up

Strong winds can drive large volumes of water towards the coast. The water then builds up there. When winds are from the east to north-east, the south-western coast of the Baltic Sea is particularly exposed. The extent to which the water level rises in a particular location also depends on the shape of the coastline and the duration of the wind.

On the North Sea, however, the strong easterly wind led to low water levels and disruption to ferry services. Water levels on both coasts do not evolve as a direct counterbalance to one another, but react to the respective effects of the wind.

At what point is a flood classified as a storm surge?

According to the BSH’s classification, a storm surge on the Baltic Sea begins at a water level of one metre above mean sea level. From 1.25 metres, the authority classifies it as a moderate storm surge; from 1.50 metres, as a severe storm surge. A very severe storm surge begins at two metres above mean sea level.

For further planning, the the BSH’s current storm surge warnings crucial. A look back at the The Baltic Sea storm surge of October 2023 with reports from the ports concerned.

Book recommendation

Weather at sea Ralf Brauner, Boris Herrmann and Hans-Jörg Nafzger explain how weather patterns develop and where sailors can obtain reliable weather information. The book covers areas of high and low pressure, regional weather events, sea states, ocean currents and meteorological trip planning. Numerous diagrams illustrate these relationships.

What impact did the storm surge have on your harbour?

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Tom Stender

Tom Stender

Redakteur

Christian Tiedt was born in Hamburg in 1975, but grew up in the northern suburbs of the city - except for numerous visits to the harbor, North Sea and Baltic Sea, but without direct access to water sports for a long time. His first adventures then took place on dry land: With the classics from Chichester, Slocum and Co. After completing his vocational training, his studies finally gave him the opportunity (in terms of time) to get active on the water - and to obtain the relevant licenses. First with cruising and then, when he joined BOOTE in 2004, with motorboats of all kinds. In the meantime, Christian has been able to get to know almost all of Europe (and some more distant destinations) on his own keel and prefers to share his adventures and experiences as head of the travel department for YACHT and BOOTE in cruise reports.

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