Commitment to the Safety of People and Infrastructure

The Cloud Seeding Association Reutlingen was set up in 2014 in response to the storm of the century on July 28, 2013. Back then, several hundred people were injured in the Reutlingen region and vehicles, building fronts, roofs, and solar panels were badly damaged by hail.

In the event of a potentially dangerous storm, the association orders the rental of a special aircraft stationed in Rosenheim. With this cloud seeding aircraft, dust particles are ejected by burning silver iodide using acetone as a burning liquid. Water accumulates on these dust particles, which prevents large hail-stones from forming.

Gabriele Gaiser, First Chairperson of the Association – “This season, the aircraft was funded for 62 days from mid-June to mid-August. There were a total of three missions during this time, as well as 15 standby days.”

During the thunderstorm on Friday, August 4, when the city center of Reutlingen was covered with a 30-centimeter layer of hail and which received nationwide media coverage, the seeding aircraft had not taken off. Gabriele Gaiser – “There was no aircraft in operation on this day in the whole of Baden-Württemberg, as there was no storm warning from Germany’s National Meteorological Service. It was a cool summer’s day with around 18 °C, and the likelihood of hail occurring is very unlikely when the temperature is below 20 °C.”

The RAMPF Group has supported the association since its foundation nine years ago. RAMPF CEO Matthias Rampf – “As a company based in the Reutlingen region, it is a matter of course for us to support the cloud seeding association. We are hereby helping to protect both the people living here as well as our own infrastructure.”