Concerns about new rain in flood areas

Storm - Concerns about new rain in flood areas

There are no signs of relief in the flood areas in several federal states for the time being. On Tuesday night, the German Weather Service (DWD) warned of persistent rain in parts of Germany, which is expected to continue until Thursday night. This could exacerbate the situation in the affected regions. The emergency services are particularly concerned about soaked dykes. Meanwhile, the German Red Cross (DRK) is calling for better preparation for such crises.

"We need more and better equipment for disasters in Germany," DRK President Gerda Hasselfeldt told the Rheinische Post newspaper. "The deficits are glaring, especially in terms of material equipment." After the flood disaster in the Ahr valley in the summer of 2021, the awareness of those politically responsible for civil protection has increased. "There's not much left of that now."

Emergency services have been working continuously in several regions for days. Lower Saxony, parts of North Rhine-Westphalia and southern Saxony-Anhalt are particularly affected. On New Year's Eve, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited a flood area in Lower Saxony, followed a day later by Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser (both SPD). She promised further support.

Faeser said she was worried about the weather forecasts with more rain. "That makes the situation more difficult. What we can do, we will do," said the minister. On Tuesday night, the DWD's warning report on the predicted rainfall stated: "From Lower Saxony to the Black Forest and in the eastern low mountain ranges, high amounts of rain in some places."

Dykes are soaked

Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens(SPD) spoke on Monday of a very tense situation on the dykes. "The dykes are very soaked and we are very worried that we will get more rain in the next few days and the situation will get worse," she said. There are currently still six districts with an exceptional situation.

According to the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), around 1,000 volunteers were deployed across Germany at the turn of the year - mainly in Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and North Rhine-Westphalia. In the meantime, forces from around a third of all THW local associations have been deployed, according to a statement.

Volunteers are also active in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. In order to relieve the Kelbra dam in Saxony-Anhalt and create storage space for the predicted rainfall, more water is being drained into the Helme river, according to the responsible district office. It is about five cubic meters more water per second. For this reason, there are plans to deepen the dyke breach near the Thuringian village of Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth, which has been widened to 45 meters in recent days, for a second time.

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1. The German Weather Service (DWD) warns of persistent rain in parts of Hanover and other flood-prone areas in Germany, which could worsen the flooding situation.
2. Gerda Hasselfeldt, president of the German Red Cross (DRK), expresses concern about the lack of adequate disaster equipment in Germany, especially in the aftermath of the flood disaster in the Ahr valley.
3. Emergency services are working tirelessly in flood-affected regions such as Lower Saxony, parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, and southern Saxony-Anhalt.
4. The situation in Hanover and other flood zones is exacerbated by the continuous rain, causing concern among emergency services and politicians like Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser.
5. Faeser, a member of the SPD, promised further support for flood-affected areas, expressing her worry about the worsening weather conditions and predicted rainfall.
6. In Lower Saxony, interior minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) addressed the tense situation on the dykes, expressing concern about potential further rainfall and the risk of the situation worsening.
7. Volunteers from around 1,000 THW local associations have been deployed in flood-affected areas across Germany, including Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and North Rhine-Westphalia.
8. In Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, volunteers are helping to drain more water into the Helme river to create storage space for the predicted rainfall, with plans to deepen the dyke breach near Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth for a second time.
9. The ongoing bad weather and rainfall in flood-prone areas like Hanover pose a significant challenge to residents and emergency services, demanding continuous operation and preparation for potential future crises.

Source: www.stern.de