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Dyke opening at Helme deepened: Renewed flood risk

The people on the Helme river on the border between Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt have been worried for days. A deeper dyke opening brought relief. But continuous rain and further dangers have been announced - in northern and southern Thuringia.

,   and  John Stellmacher
4 min read
A sandbag is handed over. Fire departments and residents erect a sandbag wall as flood protection....aussiedlerbote.de
A sandbag is handed over. Fire departments and residents erect a sandbag wall as flood protection along the River Helme. Photo.aussiedlerbote.de

Emergencies - Dyke opening at Helme deepened: Renewed flood risk

After the situation on the River Helme in northern Thuringia calmed down, there is a renewed threat of flooding in the Thuringian Forest and southern Harz in the coming days. Heavy continuous rain could fall between Tuesday and Thursday in the districts of Hildburghausen, Nordhausen, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Sonneberg, the Ilm district and the city of Suhl, predicted the German Weather Service (DWD) on Monday. The water level of streams and rivers could rise quickly. Street flooding and landslides are possible.

Railroad line temporarily closed

The focus is therefore once again on the stability of already wet dams and dykes along rivers. It was only on New Year's Day that the flood situation on the River Helme in the border region between Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt was at least somewhat alleviated by the deepening of a breach in the dyke. Nevertheless, the railroad line between Sangerhausen in Saxony-Anhalt and Artern in Thuringia had to be temporarily closed. The reason for this was the use of an excavator on the railroad embankment near Oberröblingen to secure the dyke there, according to the district of Mansfeld-Südharz. The railroad company set up rail replacement services on the route.

Helme level slightly lower due to dyke opening

The level of the Helme had dropped by 16 centimeters from Sunday to Monday, said a spokesman for the district office in Sondershausen. It was 2.92 meters on Monday, but still comparatively high. A dyke breach near the village of Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, which had been widened several times over the past few days to a total width of 45 meters, had been deepened.

Part of the floodwater from the Helme will thus continue to be diverted onto agricultural land in the so-called Alter Rieth. "It was the right decision, together with experts from Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, to deepen the dyke breach. This has prevented worse for the communities of Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth and Heygendorf," explained the district administrator of the Kyffhäuserkreis, Antje Hochwind-Schneider (SPD), according to her administration.

Lots of water in the Kelbra reservoir

According to the district administration, a lot of water is still being drained from the Kelbra reservoir in Saxony-Anhalt into the Helme. This is necessary in order to regain storage space in view of the predicted rainfall.

According to the Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation in Jena, the water level at all flood warning gauges was below the reference value for the start of the report on Monday. One exception was the Hinternah gauge in Hildburghausen. According to weather forecasts, however, the downward trend will only continue until midday on Tuesday.

Continuous rain and snow in the mountains

In the southern Harz and Thuringian Forest, 40 to 60 liters of rain per square meter could fall within 48 hours, and up to 80 liters in congested areas. Snowfall is possible above 600 meters. Once again, the catchment areas in the upper Werra and upper Saale, the upper Unstrut and the Bere and Zorge on the edge of the Harz are particularly affected. Flood levels 1 or 2 could be reached locally, according to the state office.

Due to the rising groundwater level, some people in Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth were unable to use bathrooms and sanitary facilities in their homes. They were provided with a sanitary container. The small village has around 300 inhabitants. A protective wall near Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth, from which sandbags had disappeared over a length of around 40 meters, was restored at the weekend. According to the district administration office of the Kyffhäuerkreis, 20 meters of the protective wall had been completely removed. According to the spokesperson, a criminal complaint was filed. Investigations will have to determine whether it was theft, he said.

In the neighboring district of Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt, a state of emergency was declared at the weekend - mainly due to the long duration of the flood defense.

Thuringian Flood Information Center

Read also:

  1. Due to the predicted heavy rainfall in the coming days, there's a renewed flood risk in the Thuringian Forest and southern Harz, particularly in districts like Hildburghausen, Nordhausen, and Saalfeld-Rudolstadt.
  2. After the situation on the River Helme in northern Thuringia improved, the water level of streams and rivers in Southern Thuringia could rise rapidly, posing a threat of street flooding and landslides.
  3. The authorities are focused on the stability of dams and dykes along rivers, following the temporary closure of the railroad line between Sangerhausen in Saxony-Anhalt and Artern in Thuringia due to an excavator used to secure a dyke.
  4. The level of the Helme decreased slightly due to the dyke opening near Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, providing reassurance to the communities of Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth and Heygendorf.
  5. The district officer of the Kyffhäuserkreis, Antje Hochwind-Schneider, stated that deepening the dyke breach had prevented a worse situation for the affected communities.
  6. A significant amount of water is still being drained from the Kelbra reservoir in Saxony-Anhalt into the Helme to regain storage space in anticipation of the predicted rainfall.
  7. The state office in Jena reported that the water level at all flood warning gauges was below the reference value, except for the Hinternah gauge in Hildburghausen, which was forecasted to rise until midday on Tuesday.
  8. In the Thuringian Forest and southern Harz, up to 80 liters of rain per square meter could fall, and snowfall is possible above 600 meters, threatening flood levels 1 or 2 locally.
  9. In Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth, some residents were unable to use bathrooms and sanitary facilities due to the rising groundwater level, and a protective wall was restored at the weekend after 20 meters had been completely removed.
  10. The district of Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt declared a state of emergency over the weekend due to the long duration of the flood defense measures.

Source: www.stern.de

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