Dykes withstand masses of water so far - Scholz in the southern Harz flood area
It has rained again in large parts of Germany over the past few days, causing the already high river levels to rise further in some places. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), the flood situation remains "particularly tense in the center and northwest". The very wet weather phase will continue for the time being, "we are still literally surrounded by lows", explained DWD expert Marco Manitta. From Sunday, an area of high pressure will then bring increasingly colder and drier air masses to Germany.
However, the all-clear is not yet in sight and the situation remains critical, especially in Lower Saxony. However, according to the fire department, an endangered dyke on the River Hunte in Sandkrug in the district of Oldenburg, which has been secured with sandbags, is currently stable. However, the dyke is now under permanent video surveillance due to the large number of onlookers. Meanwhile, the Flotwedel fire department in the district of Celle reported the theft of an emergency power generator that was supplying several pumps for pumping out water. The emergency services were "shocked".
In view of the flood damage,Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil (SPD) reiterated that the state would "help very quickly" in acute emergencies. He did not name a sum on Norddeutscher Rundfunk radio on Wednesday evening.
Scholz, Lemke and Haseloff plan to visit Oberröblingen, a district of Sangerhausen, on Thursday morning to inspect the dyke at the Helme bridge, which is in danger of collapsing. A visit to a sandbag filling facility was also planned. Scholz had already visited flooded areas in Lower Saxony on New Year's Eve.
The district of Mansfeld-Südharz had declared a state of emergency at the end of the year. From Monday, around 150 Bundeswehr soldiers are to support the operation on site and help with sandbag filling and dyke defense.
In the Kyffhäuserkreis district in the north of Thuringia, also located in the southern Harz foreland, an already opened dyke is to be further deepened on Thursday in order to prevent flooding of villages in view of rising water levels.
The situation also remains tense in other federal states for the time being. The State Office for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection in North Rhine-Westphalia reported rising water levels in parts of the Weser and Rhine. In Thuringia, the levels of the upper Werra, Ilm and upper Saale also rose after the continuous rain in the Thuringian Forest.
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- The High Water Commission in Saxony-Anhalt is closely monitoring the water mass in the Helme river due to the flood situation.
- Olaf Scholz, the German Federal Chancellor, is set to visit Oberröblingen in Saxony-Anhalt on Thursday to assess the stability of a dyke at the Helme bridge.
- Steffi Lemke, Germany's Federal Minister for Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection, will join Scholz and Reiner Haseloff, the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt, in their inspection tour.
- The Scholz, Lemke, and Haseloff team aim to hold a meeting with the local authorities in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz on Thursday to discuss the current flood situation and the necessary measures.
- The German government has dispatched masses of water pumps and emergency response teams to various flood zones across Germany, including in the Saxony-Anhalt region.
- The town of Oberröblingen, located in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, is at high risk of flooding due to the unstable dyke on the Helme river.
- The local CDU representative, Marco Manitta, has expressed concern about the safety of the dyke and called for urgent action to prevent a potential breach.
- Germany's Federal Ministry of Internal Affairs has allocated additional funds to help repair and reinforce the dikes in the affected areas, including in the southern Harz region.
- The fire department in Mansfeld-Südharz is mobilizing its resources to monitor the situation and provide support as needed, given that the district is already in a state of emergency.
- The masses of water in the Helme river have been affecting the local population and infrastructure, with several roads and buildings in danger of collapsing.
- Lower Saxony's government has set up a relief fund to provide financial aid to affected families and businesses in the Southern Harz region.
- The completion of the repair work on the damaged dyke is expected to take several weeks, and local residents have been advised to remain vigilant and prepare for potential further flooding.
- In the meantime, the residents of Oberröblingen and the surrounding areas are working together to help each other and mitigate the impacts of the flood situation.
Source: www.stern.de
