Concerns about new rain in flood areas

Climate - 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 (Tuesday). "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 a width of 45 meters in recent days, for a second time.

Information on the water levels in Lower Saxony DWD

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1. The predicted rain in Germany, as mentioned by the DWD, could further exacerbate the flooding situation in the affected regions, such as Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
2. Gerda Hasselfeldt, the president of the German Red Cross (DRK), expressed concern about the lack of proper disaster equipment in Germany, highlighting the need for improvement following the flood disaster in the Ahr Valley.
3. The German Weather Service (DWD) issued a warning about persistent rain in parts of Germany, particularly in the eastern low mountain ranges and the Black Forest, which could lead to more flooding in the already soaked dykes.
4. Nancy Faeser, the Federal Minister of the Interior, promised further support to the affected regions and expressed worry about the potential impact of the predicted rain on the already dire situation.
5. In Hanover, the city in Lower Saxony, the weather has been particularly bad, with continuous heavy rain and flooding in some areas, as reported by local newspapers.
6. The flood zone in the Ahr valley, which was severely affected by the flood disaster in the summer of 2021, is still in a critical state, with many dykes remaining soaked and at risk of collapsing due to the expected rain.
7. According to the DWD, some parts of Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony are already in a state of exceptional situation, with more than 5 cubic meters of water being drained into the Helme river in an attempt to create storage space for the predicted rainfall.
8. Emergency services in Saxony-Anhalt are actively working to relieve the situation at the Kelbra dam by deepening the dyke breach near Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth for the second time, in anticipation of the predicted rainfall.
9. The upcoming weather in Germany, particularly in the flood-prone areas, is a source of concern for politicians, such as Daniela Behrens, the Interior Minister of Lower Saxony, and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who have visited affected regions to assess the situation and provide support.

Source: www.stern.de