Flood situation - Expert: High water pressure increases risk of dike breaches
According to an expert, the water pressure, which has already lasted for days, and rising water levels in some places are currently increasing the risk of local dyke breaches. "So far, we have not seen any dyke breaches, as the technical flood protection works well and, above all, the disaster relief is excellently organized," said Torsten Schlurmann, head of the Ludwig Franzius Institute of Hydraulic, Estuarine and Coastal Engineering at Leibniz Universität Hannover, to the German Press Agency on Wednesday. In many places, however, dykes have been weakened as a result of the flood situation that has persisted for days. Now that water levels are rising again after continuous rainfall, the strain on the dykes is becoming even greater.
"The dykes provide sufficient protection against flooding as long as water does not accumulate on them over a longer period of time," said the Professor of Hydraulic and Coastal Engineering. The stability of a dyke then depends on many different factors, such as how great the gradient is between the pressure caused by the water level in the river and the land side of the dyke, what material the dyke is made of and what subsoil it is standing on.
It is therefore an important task of the emergency services to constantly monitor the dykes, for example with dyke runners on the ground or with the help of drones from the air. This is because signs of a possible dyke breach can be recognized in advance. The higher the water level in the river and the longer the damming lasts, the more water is pushed through the dyke, said Schlurmann. "What can then inevitably happen is that the water washes out material from inside the dyke. The dyke then loses its internal load-bearing capacity. As soon as water seeps through the dyke and leaks out on the land side, this is a sure sign that danger is imminent."
Measures must then be taken immediately, for example by securing such areas with sandbags in so-called spring cades, a dyke defense technique. The scientist does not expect the situation to ease until the weekend.
Profile of Prof. Torsten Schlurmann on the institute's website
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- The flood situation in Lower Saxony, Germany, has been prolonged due to continuous rain and bad weather, putting pressure on the dykes and increasing the risk of a dike breach.
- Torsten Schlurmann, an expert from the Ludwig Franzius Institute of Hydraulic, Estuarine and Coastal Engineering at Leibniz Universität Hannover, stated that the technical flood protection and disaster relief are effective, preventing any dyke breaches thus far.
- However, the days-long flood situation has weakened dykes in many places, which are now strained further due to the rising water levels after the continuous rain.
- The German Press Agency reported that Schlurmann highlighted the importance of constant monitoring of dykes, using tools such as dyke runners and drones, to detect potential signs of a dyke breach.
- According to Schlurmann, the longer the water levels in the river remain high and the more water is pushed through the dyke, the greater the risk of a dyke breach and water leakage on the land side, signaling imminent danger.
- Scientists expect the flood situation in Lower Saxony to continue until the weekend, emphasizing the need for immediate action such as securing vulnerable areas with sandbags using the technique of spring cades.
- The Water level in Germany has surpassed normal levels due to the flood situation, raising concerns for flood protection and leading to increased vigilance and action by the German emergency services.
Source: www.stern.de
