Weather - Flood hotspot: situation in flooded Windehausen stable
Persistent rain and soaked soils continue to pose a risk of flooding in many areas of Germany. The German Weather Service (DWD) continues to warn of persistent rain in several regions.
Windehausen (Nordhausen district) in northern Thuringia was particularly badly affected. According to the emergency services, the flood situation in the flooded and largely evacuated town is stable. Although the district of Heringen is still trapped by the flood, the water has already receded very slightly in some places, the district fire director for Nordhausen, Daniel Kunze, told the German Press Agency. However, the all-clear could not yet be given.
Windehausen had to be completely evacuated on Christmas Day due to the critical situation. According to Matthias Marquardt, mayor of the town of Heringen, to which Windehausen belongs, an estimated 100 of the almost 500 inhabitants are still in the village. All other residents had found accommodation with family, friends and acquaintances. Nobody had to spend the night in the gymnasium provided in Heringen.
Lower Saxony: Situation in Leer district eases
According to the fire department, the flood situation in the East Frisian district of Leer has eased somewhat. "The safety measures on the dyke worked during the night and were successful," the Leer district fire department announced on Facebook. Evacuations were not necessary. The water levels fell by around 30 centimetres during the night.
According to the information, dyke checks are now being stepped up. However, the filling of sandbags was stopped in the morning. With a total of 17 pallets, there are enough sandbags available for the time being, according to the fire department. In the Lower Saxony municipality of Uplengen, the Hollener Ehe dyke was breached in two places and was also softened over a length of almost 500 meters, said district fire service spokesman Dominik Janßen. However, 450 emergency personnel and hundreds of volunteers were able to stabilize the dyke with sandbags.
In the municipality of Hatten in the district of Oldenburg, a dyke also became unstable. The residents of two streets had to be evacuated, the fire department announced on Tuesday night. It was not initially known how many people were affected. The stability of the dyke was to be assessed again on Tuesday morning. Until then, the dyke is to be stabilized with sandbags. A dyke breach is still considered unlikely.
The authorities warned of a further worsening of the flood situation in the Oker and Innerste river basins. As further rain is forecast in the Harz until Tuesday morning, a third flood wave is expected in the tributaries to the reservoirs. This would fill the Harz dams to such an extent that more water would probably have to be released, which would then lead to a significant worsening of the flood situation, according to a statement.
Warning of continuous rain and storm surges
The German Weather Service predicted further persistent rain in several regions, especially from the western low mountain ranges to the Harz Mountains, according to a DWD storm warning issued late Monday evening. It would also be stormy in some places. During the night, there should be strong gusts, including gale-force winds in the north-west, which will spread northwards during the course of the day. Floods are expected in streams and rivers. In addition to flooding, landslides could also occur. Most of the country will remain under the influence of mild and very humid air masses.
The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) warned of storm surges in the Weser region and on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony. Specifically, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Elsfleth, Brake and Rechtenfleth on the Weser and Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea were named.
The flood situation also remained tense in parts of Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Rail traffic on the route between Hanover and Magdeburg is expected to be affected until Wednesday (December 27). IC trains will be diverted in both directions, causing delays of around 30 minutes, Deutsche Bahn announced on its website. The reason for this is undermined tracks on the route from Magdeburg to Helmstedt.
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- The German Press Agency reported on the stable flood situation in Windehausen, a town in the Nordhausen district of northern Thuringia.
- Daniel Kunze, the district fire director for Nordhausen, provided updates to the German Press Agency on the flood situation in Windehausen.
- Despite the slight recession of water in some parts of Windehausen, the town had to be completely evacuated due to the flood risk on Christmas Day.
- Matthias Marquardt, the mayor of Heringen, confirmed to the German Press Agency that an estimated 100 of Windehausen's almost 500 inhabitants were still in the village.
- The flood situation in Leer district in Lower Saxony has reportedly eased, according to the fire department, following successful safety measures on the dyke.
- Lower Saxony's Uplengen municipality experienced breaches in the Hollener Ehe dyke, however, emergency personnel and volunteers were able to stabilize it with sandbags.
- Continuous rain and storm surges are expected in several regions, including the western low mountain ranges and the Harz Mountains, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).
- Storm surges are also forecasted in the Weser region and on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony, as warned by the Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH).
- The flood situation remains tense in parts of Saxony-Anhalt, Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia, according to various news sources.
- Rail traffic on the route between Hanover and Magdeburg may be affected until December 27 due to undermined tracks on the route from Magdeburg to Helmstedt, according to Deutsche Bahn.
Source: www.stern.de
