Fire department in Leer fights against dike breaches
Due to the flooding, residents in the East Frisian municipality of Leer are preparing to evacuate. In the neighboring village, the dyke has already softened so much that it is showing the first cracks. While the water level continues to rise, human chains are to stabilize the embankment.
In the district of Leer in Lower Saxony, hundreds of firefighters have been trying to stabilize dykes with sandbags and prevent breaches in the face of the flooding. Fire department spokesman Dominik Janßen said during the night that a dyke in the East Frisian community of Langholt had softened considerably and was threatening to break. The dyke was now "like a pudding". Residents were given advance warning of a possible evacuation should the situation worsen. Emergency accommodation has already been prepared.
In nearby Hollen, the situation was "even more tense", fire department spokesman Janßen continued. A dyke there had also softened considerably, there was "very high water pressure" and the first "cracks". According to the report, the dyke is so soft over a length of 500 meters that sandbags can only be transported with a human chain of emergency services. The problem is that the water continues to rise, said Janßen. The highest water level for Langholt was expected at 2.00 am. The water had already spilled over the dyke there during the course of the day. The district of Leer is located in southern East Frisia.
Town in northern Thuringia evacuated
Many places in Germany are affected by heavy rain and flooding over the Christmas period. A district of the municipality of Heringen in northern Thuringia was evacuated due to the power supply failure. The local administration called on the residents of Windehausen to leave the area from midday. Heringen's mayor Matthias Marquardt (Left Party) said that by the evening, the majority of the almost 500 residents had responded to the call. He assumed that 100 to 150 people were still in their houses and apartments.
The situation in Windehausen had deteriorated since Sunday. The village could no longer be reached by normal cars due to the flooding, as Marquardt told MDR. According to the mayor, attempts will be made from Tuesday to remove the water using large pumps.
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
Due to the flooding, relief efforts are also needed internationally, with experts from various countries being invited to help in the restoration of the dykes in Lower Saxony, especially in the affected areas like Leer. Despite the Christmas celebrations, flood defense teams are working tirelessly to prevent more damage and potentially save homes from being submerged.
Given the severe flooding in East Frisia, many locals were contemplating celebrating Christmas Eve in alternative accommodations, away from the flood-prone areas. Some Christmas markets had to be relocated to higher ground or closed entirely to ensure the safety of visitors.
Source: www.ntv.de
