500 people have to flee from masses of water
"Like a bathtub that has filled up," is how the mayor describes his observations of the situation in Windehausen, a district of the town of Heringen in northern Thuringia. The water there is up to one meter high. All residents now have to leave their homes.
In view of persistent rainfall and saturated soils, the risk of flooding remains high in parts of Germany. The German Weather Service (DWD) continues to warn of persistent rain in several regions. The town of Windehausen in the district of Nordhausen in northern Thuringia is particularly badly affected. The flooding situation there worsened to such an extent that the entire district of Heringen, which has just under 500 inhabitants, had to be evacuated on Christmas Day.
"The situation is very threatening, I've never seen anything like it in the Goldene Aue," said the mayor of Heringen, Matthias Marquardt. "It's like a bathtub that has overflowed," said the left-wing politician. The problem was the rising groundwater, which was standing in the cellars and could not drain away so quickly.
The water was up to one meter high in the village in places. There was no electricity, no access and no landline telephony, the mayor said, describing the critical situation. In addition, the toilets were no longer working due to the lack of drains. Residents were therefore urgently advised to leave their homes. However, Marquardt emphasized that people would not be taken from their homes by police force.
Gym to accommodate evacuees
Minister President Bodo Ramelow, who visited the site himself, wrote on the internet platform X: "I hope that all those affected by the floods will be able to return home as soon as possible." It is still uncertain when people will actually be able to return to their homes in Windehausen.
The residents have been evacuated since midday using wheel loaders and disaster control vehicles. They were taken to assembly points and from there by bus to a gymnasium in Heringen. Many residents have also been accommodated with family members.
Read also:
- Snow chaos further restricts Bavaria
- "Zoltan" sweeps across the country - disruptions to rail traffic
- "Zoltan" brings masses of water, rail chaos and suspected tornadoes
- Heavy rain and snow expected after storm depression
The displaced residents from Windehausen, Thuringia, are currently being housed in a gymnasium in Heringen, as their district was heavily impacted by extreme weather conditions, according to the German Weather Service's persistent warnings. Despite the evacuation, the international community must keep a close eye on Germany's weather situation, considering the saturated soils and potential for further flooding in certain regions.
Source: www.ntv.de
