Local guide to official warning and information sources for Wettenberg and the surrounding area. In an actual emergency: 112 (emergency/fire service) or 110 (police).
Important note:
This page is a local guide to official warning and information sources. It does not replace any warning, all-clear or instruction from the fire service, police, municipality, district, State of Hesse, DWD or BBK. Please also set up official warning apps (hessenWARN, NINA, Cell Broadcast) on your phone. In an emergency, always 112 or 110.
According to currently retrieved data:
According to currently retrieved data there are no active warning messages from the integrated sources for Wettenberg. This display does not replace the official warning systems — please also use hessenWARN, NINA, DWD, radio (hr1/hr3/hr4) and instructions from authorities.
112 and 110 work in Germany without credit and without internet, as long as an activated SIM card is in the device. If your own mobile network is unavailable, emergency call 112 is automatically routed via another available network. Without a SIM card a mobile emergency call in Germany has not been possible since 2009 (Notrufverordnung). In some other EU countries SIM-less emergency calls are still possible — but do not rely on it in Germany. With poor reception: change location, try again, ask others for help, or use a landline.
This page does not replace official warnings or instructions.
Warning apps and notifications
For Wettenberg we recommend several warning channels in parallel — no single channel fully covers every situation.
📱 hessenWARN — official warning app for Hesse
hessenWARN has been the official warning and information app of the State of Hesse since 5 November 2019, developed by the Hessian Ministry of the Interior together with Fraunhofer FOKUS. hessenWARN is technologically based on KATWARN and, via interfaces, also includes nationwide warnings from KATWARN and NINA (MoWaS).
The State of Hesse explicitly recommends: uninstall KATWARN, use hessenWARN — otherwise you will receive duplicate notifications. Recommendation for Wettenberg: hessenWARN as primary app, NINA for nationwide coverage, Cell Broadcast is automatically active.
Warning app of the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance (BBK). Shows civil protection alerts (MoWaS) as well as weather and flood information. Also mirrors messages from KATWARN and BIWAPP.
App stores: "NINA — Die Warn-App". We recommend installing it.
📡 Cell Broadcast (DE-Alert)
Cell Broadcast (DE-Alert): Since February 2023, authorities automatically send official warnings to all switched-on mobile phones in a danger area — no app, no registration, no internet. On newer devices Cell Broadcast is enabled by default.
Requirements: compatible device, switched on, reception, up-to-date software, emergency alerts enabled. Check in settings under "Emergency alerts", "Cell Broadcast" or "Warning messages". Cell Broadcast complements hessenWARN and NINA — it does not replace them.
🆘 KatRetter — first responder alerting
KatRetter is a smartphone-based app for volunteer first responders. It is intended to shorten the time until emergency services arrive.
Whether KatRetter is actively used in Wettenberg / Gießen district, please check directly with the provider or the responsible bodies. KatRetter never replaces the emergency call 112.
In case of power outage, internet outage or mobile network failure: Hessischer Rundfunk (hr1, hr3, hr4) broadcasts behavioural instructions continuously in a crisis.
Recommendation: keep a battery-powered radio in the household.
✉️ KATWARN SMS — fallback without a smartphone
For people without a smartphone, KATWARN offers an SMS/email service. In Hesse, hessenWARN is the recommended app; KATWARN-SMS is only sensible if a smartphone is not an option.
How to register for Wettenberg: SMS to 0163 755 88 42 with the text: KATWARN 35435 Optionally with email: KATWARN 35435 your@address.com Unsubscribe with KATWARN AUS · status with KATWARN STATUS.
Important note: The KATWARN SMS/email service does not deliver DWD severe weather warnings and does not replace all warning channels. For comprehensive warnings, also use NINA or hessenWARN.
Superseded in Hesse by hessenWARN. Users who only want topic subscriptions (e.g. nationwide DWD heat warnings) and no location-based warnings can still subscribe in KATWARN. For local warnings, hessenWARN is the choice.
Note: topic subscriptions do not replace location-based warnings.
Note on safe spontaneous help: Please do not drive on your own to incident sites, damage locations or restricted areas. Spontaneous offers of help should go through official bodies or coordinated local offers — such as Wettenberg municipality, Gießen district or the team of "Wettenberg bleibt bunt". That protects you, those affected and the emergency services.
Check my warning channels
Tick off what you have already set up. The list is only stored in your browser — no data leaves your device.
Tip: plan a fixed appointment now with family or neighbours to set up the open items together — a few minutes is usually enough.
Local information channels
Direct from Wettenberg — quick alerts for local incidents, road closures, major events.
🚒 Wettenberg fire service on WhatsApp
Official WhatsApp channel of the Wettenberg fire service. Brief info on incidents, major damage situations, road closures, local warnings.
WhatsApp channel = one-way information from the fire service to subscribers. Only the fire service can post, other readers remain anonymous to each other. Use of the channel takes place in the WhatsApp app; regarding data protection, the WhatsApp privacy policy (Meta Platforms Ireland) applies. A WhatsApp-free alternative is NINA (see above).
🏛 Wettenberg municipality
Official gazette, press releases, mayor's notices — for major events the primary official mouthpiece.
Note: A WhatsApp registration requires a Meta account. We recommend additionally or alternatively installing the NINA app — it works without a third-party account and is GDPR-compliant.
Values for Wettenberg · 5-day forecast by Open-Meteo (no API key, no cookies). For acute warnings (thunderstorms, gales, heavy rain) the official DWD warning situation also applies — see tiles below.
🌡 Heat warnings (official widget)
Embedded widget from widget.hitzewarnungen.de with heat warnings based on DWD data.
External content from widget.hitzewarnungen.de. When unfolded, a connection to this service is established; depending on the third party, data such as IP address and browser ID may be transmitted.
Official heat warning for today & tomorrow and heat trend for the following days — directly from DWD OpenData.
Kreis Gießen
ID GIX
Official DWD heat warning for today: extreme Wärmebelastung.
Heute 19.06.
official warning
Amtliche DWD-Hitzewarnung: extreme Wärmebelastung
Morgen 20.06.
official warning
Amtliche DWD-Hitzewarnung: starke Wärmebelastung
Show trend outlook for the following days
So.21.06.TrendTrend: Stufe 1 wahrscheinlich
Mo.22.06.TrendTrend: Stufe 1 wahrscheinlich
Di.23.06.TrendTrend: Stufe 2 möglich (gering)
Mi.24.06.TrendTrend: Stufe 1 möglich (gering)
Do.25.06.—
Fr.26.06.—
Trend hints from day 3 onwards are not official warnings, but forecast indications. They can change at short notice.
Data status: 19.06.2026 (file: hwtrend_20260619.json), retrieved 19.06.2026 14:00.
This display is based on DWD OpenData and does not replace official warnings, all-clears or instructions from DWD, municipality, district, fire service, police or civil protection. In an emergency always call 112 or 110.
Source: German Weather Service (DWD), OpenData. Data licence: Creative Commons BY 4.0. hitzewarnungen.de · DWD OpenData
Floods and heavy rain
Gauge level — GIESSEN KLÄRWERK / LAHN
229 cm · —
As of 19.06.2026 13:45 (35 min old) · Source: PegelOnline (WSV)
Note on interpretation: MW = mean daily water level, MHW = mean of flood levels, HHW = highest ever measured value (long-term WSV statistics). The assessment is for orientation — it does not replace an official flood warning level.
PegelOnline provides measurements from the Federal Waterways and Shipping Administration — not an official flood warning level. For the official flood situation, check hochwasser.hessen.de and the Lahn flood centre.
Official flood situation
Authoritative sources for official flood warning and reporting services in Hesse / Central Hesse:
For Wettenberg / Krofdorf / Wißmar, the gauges at Marburg and Gießen sewage works as well as the warning situation of the responsible water authority are primarily relevant.
Behaviour during floods / heavy rain
Clear cellar rooms, move valuables upstairs
Switch off electricity in flooded areas
Do not drive through underpasses, underground car parks or flooded streets
Do not walk or drive through flowing water — even shallow water can destabilise or push away vehicles
Avoid being outdoors, avoid fallen trees and hanging power lines
Understanding siren signals
Signal
Meaning
What to do?
1 minute wailing tone, rising and falling
Public warning — danger
Turn on radio (hr1, hr3, hr4), close windows & doors, inform neighbours.
1 minute continuous tone
All clear
Danger over. Still pay attention to radio notices.
3× 12 seconds continuous tone with pauses
Fire alarm (fire brigade is alerted)
Not a public alarm — only firefighters are being called.
Nationwide warning day
Annually on the 2nd Thursday of September, 11 a.m.
Test run — no cause for concern.
Note: Wettenberg currently has limited siren coverage. In an emergency, warnings are issued primarily via Cell Broadcast, NINA and Hessischer Rundfunk.
Preparedness for a crisis
📋 Preparedness self-check
How well prepared are you for a crisis? Tick off what you have — see at a glance what is still missing. No data leaves your device.
Water: ideally 2 litres per person per day for 10 days (BBK recommendation). As a starter, stock at least 3 days and expand gradually.
Food: for 10 days, long shelf life (canned goods, pasta, rice, muesli, UHT milk)
Medications: sufficient supply of prescription drugs
Home pharmacy: plasters, bandages, painkillers, disinfectant, thermometer
Hygiene: toilet paper, soap, bin liners, women's hygiene
Power and heating failure
Torch + spare batteries (NO open flames due to fire and CO risk)
Power bank for phone, charged in advance
Battery-powered or wind-up radio
Warm clothing, blankets, sleeping bag
Cash for at least 3 days (ATMs need power)
Fridge: keep closed if possible, food keeps for ~12 h
Prepared documents
ID cards, passport, birth certificates, family record book
Insurance policies, important contracts
Prescriptions, vaccination certificates, allergy list
List of important phone numbers also handwritten
Ideally in a bag, quickly accessible
Full lists and guides: bbk.bund.de (Federal Office for Civil Protection)
For the neighbourhood
If you know someone who might need help in an emergency (living alone, elderly, ill): talk to that person now, exchange phone numbers, agree on a knock signal.
Get warnings by email
Get notified automatically whenever there's a warning for Wettenberg – severe weather, heat, flooding or civil-protection alerts. Free, and you can unsubscribe any time.
Further information & contact points
Curated collection — nationwide bodies plus state-specific offerings for Hessen.
Inspiration includes hitzeservice.de. All references are external links — clicking takes you away from this page.
📚 Hitzeservice — materials & tools
On hitzeservice.de you'll find bundled help on heat: information materials, tips for risk groups, tools for municipalities, care facilities, nurseries and volunteers — as well as the DWD widget that can be embedded above. The selection below picks up some of the bodies recommended there.
Fire services: Krofdorf-Gleiberg, Launsbach, Wißmar — in an emergency always 112
Gießen district (search term "Katastrophenschutz" on the site): lkgi.de
Hessian Ministry of the Interior (security / civil protection section): innen.hessen.de
BBK — Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Assistance: bbk.bund.de
📡 Subscribe to updates
This page offers an RSS feed with all active warnings. You can subscribe to it in any feed reader (NetNewsWire, Inoreader, Feedly, Thunderbird, RSSOwl, …) — no sign-up, no tracking.
BBK emergency preparedness, Hesse Police, Wettenberg municipality, Gießen district, Hessian Ministry of the Interior
Wettenberg fire service WhatsApp channel (fire service press channel, no API retrieval possible)
This page is a local guide to official warning and information sources. It does not replace the official warning systems — please also set up NINA or hessenWARN/KATWARN on your phone. Only information relevant to citizens of Wettenberg is included.
