Rainfall - Elbe flood waters continue to rise - Pretzien weir open
To alleviate the flood situation on the Elbe in Magdeburg and Schönebeck, the State Office for Flood Protection and Water Management (LHW) has opened the Pretzien weir. This means that around a third of the Elbe water is diverted past the two towns through a bypass channel and across meadows and fields before flowing back into the Elbe. This is a purely preventative measure, said Saxony-Anhalt Environment Minister Armin Willingmann (SPD) on Thursday. However, it is being observed that the water in the Elbe is continuing to rise.
"This is the first time since the LHW was established that a flood situation has occurred simultaneously for all river areas in the state of Saxony-Anhalt," said Martina Große-Sudhues, Director of the state agency. Since the severe flooding in 2002, around 1.4 billion euros have been invested in flood protection in the state, so that the state is well prepared for the current situation.
Intensive rainfall throughout the country and the melting of snow due to mild temperatures in the Harz Mountains and the Giant Mountains have resulted in the Elbe and other bodies of water carrying more water than usual. Hundreds of onlookers watched the opening of the 150-year-old Pretzien weir. Over a period of more than five hours, employees of the State Office for Flood Protection removed the 320 or so steel plates, allowing the water to flow slowly into the areas behind the weir. According to the LHW, this ensures that the water does not hit the dams and dykes with full force. The Pretzien weir was last opened ten years ago and has now been opened for the 63rd time in total.
Water from drained dam threatens village
On the state border between Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, water being deliberately released from the Kelbra reservoir is threatening a village in Thuringia, according to the authorities. The responsible authorities in both federal states therefore decided to deliberately open the dyke on the River Helme in Saxony-Anhalt in order to drain the water onto surrounding fields. As a spokesperson for the Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation (TLUBN) explained, a section of the dyke crest will be removed over a length of five to ten meters. The water flowing through the culvert will then flow across the fields into a flood ditch in Kalbsrieth, Thuringia.
The flood situation eased slightly on other rivers in Saxony-Anhalt. In Halle, the water level of the Saale has already receded again, according to the city administration. A further decline is expected in the coming days. According to the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel district, the water levels of several rivers in northern Saxony-Anhalt also receded. However, a district road between Amt Dambeck and Altensalzwedel remains closed because a lowering of the road under load cannot be ruled out.
Situation in other parts of the state eases
In Magdeburg, the Elbe is expected to crest on Sunday. The city expects a maximum level of 5.25 meters. During the 2013 flood, the maximum level in Magdeburg was 7.47 meters. "In Magdeburg, there is still no major danger from the flood at present," emphasizes Mayor Simone Borris. As alert level 3 is highly unlikely to be reached in Magdeburg, no dyke guards are currently required.
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Source: www.stern.de
