A brief but severe thunderstorm floods the Kortrijk region, submerging a tunnel and inundating Howest basements.

A short but fierce thunderstorm around 10 a.m. Friday morning caused some flooding in the Kortrijk region. At the Fluvia fire zone, 50 to 60 reports of flooded streets, basements, or garages were received. In Kortrijk, the tunnel under the railway in the Felix de Bethunelaan was once again under water.

The problem of flooding after heavy rain showers is a regularly recurring phenomenon in the Felix de Bethunelaan. In  August 2020, the tunnel was flooded two more times in a few days. Again, a motorist from Harelbeke was surprised with his Mercedes. “The three of us drove into the water but halfway through my Mercedes came to a stop,” said Ershad Yaftali. “The water ran into my car. Luckily I got help from others who pulled my car out of the water. The car will have to be towed to a garage.”