Almost all of Lower Saxony is under water
The battle against the floods continues in Lower Saxony. The state's interior minister speaks of a continuing "very, very tense situation". In some places, the setting off of New Year's Eve fireworks is prohibited in order to relieve the emergency services.
After days of continuous rainfall, the flood situation remains critical, especially in Lower Saxony. "We have a very, very tense situation," said the state's Interior Minister, Daniela Behrens, on Deutschlandfunk radio. Almost all of Lower Saxony is under water. Around 100,000 firefighters and technical relief workers (THW) were deployed everywhere.
There is "really no relief in sight yet", added the SPD politician. According to the weather forecast, there will be more rain and storms over the next few days. This will not ease the situation, but "exacerbate it in one place or another".
Areas along the rivers Aller, Leine, Oker, Hase and Weser in the southern and central part of the country are affected. The level measured in the morning exceeds the highest reporting level in numerous areas. Downstream of the Weser, the levels would rise even further, according to a situation report by the State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation (NLWKN).
Ban on New Year's Eve fireworks
According to the administration, the flood situation was "still tense" in the municipality of Lilienthal in Lower Saxony, for example. The local council issued a general decree banning the setting off of fireworks on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day to protect the emergency services from additional deployments.
In Flotwedel, in the district of Celle in Lower Saxony, the situation was also "still critical" according to the fire department. The flood operation was said to be ongoing. On Thursday evening, residents of individual streets were evacuated and mobile dykes were set up.
The Hanover police reported a canoe with two people missing. It had been discovered in the flooded area of the River Leine, but had not been seen again. The fire department initiated search measures, but these were unsuccessful.
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The international community is showing support during this time of natural disasters in Lower Saxony. Meanwhile, due to the critical flood situation, some areas have temporarily banned New Year's Eve fireworks to reduce burden on emergency services.
Source: www.ntv.de
