Storm - Critical flood situation: dams full, dykes fragile
Hundreds of people had to leave their homes over the Christmas holidays due to flooding - swelling watercourses and overflowing reservoirs could force others to flee. The situation will remain tense over the next few days, according to reports on Tuesday from authorities in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, among others. The weather forecast offers some hope: According to the forecast of the German Weather Service (DWD), there is to be some rain in the northwest on Wednesday, otherwise it will remain dry with some major clearing in places.
After days of continuous rain, the flood situation in many regions of Germany worsened over the holidays. In Saxony-Anhalt, around 180 residents of the village of Thürungen were urged to take shelter on Tuesday due to the threat of flooding at the Kelbra reservoir and the Helme river. In other places in the region, residents were told to prepare for possible evacuations. The extent of possible flooding is difficult to predict, according to a spokesperson for the district of Mansfeld-Südharz.
Evacuations in Thuringia
Hundreds of people in Rinteln in Lower Saxony and Windehausen in Thuringia also had to leave their houses and apartments due to flooding over the Christmas holidays. As here, rivers bursting their banks in other federal states transformed the surrounding area into extensive water landscapes.
In Windehausen in Thuringia, however, the situation had eased considerably on Tuesday, according to a police spokesperson early on Wednesday morning. The water levels in Thuringia had largely receded. Soaked dams broke in Northeim in southern Lower Saxony and Uplengen in the Leer district. Helpers were in constant action to secure the damaged bulwarks with sandbags.
While the situation began to ease regionally as the rainfall subsided, the most critical situation was yet to come in other areas. For example, the highest water levels of a flood wave on the Elbe were not expected until Wednesday. This was due to the melting snow and heavy rainfall in the Giant Mountains, it was said.
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 flooding in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt has led to the recommendation for residents near the Kelbra reservoir and Helme river in Thürungen, Saxony-Anhalt to seek shelter. Several dams have broken due to the persistent rain in Northeim, Lower Saxony and Uplengen, Leer district. The weather service, DWD, forecasts rain in the northwest on Wednesday, but the overall weather remains dry with some clearing. Due to this critical situation, hundreds of people in Berlin had to evacuate their homes on Christmas Day. This flood situation is not unique to Berlin, as regions in Thuringia, like Rinteln and Windehausen, have also experienced similar issues. The DWD has classified the current weather situation as a 'flood situation' across many regions of Germany. Authorities in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt have reported that this tense situation will persist for a few more days. The melting snow and heavy rainfall in the Giant Mountains are predicted to cause the highest water levels of a flood wave on the Elbe until Wednesday. The Dykes in these regions, including Dike, are being closely monitored and reinforced with sandbags to prevent further flooding.
Source: www.stern.de
