Flood peak for the time being: Chancellor on site

Storm - Flood peak for the time being: Chancellor on site

The situation in some of the flood areas in Lower Saxony remains tense. According to the authorities, however, the situation is not expected to worsen for the time being - but river levels could rise again locally in the new year. On Sunday, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz also traveled to Germany's second-largest federal state in terms of area to get an idea of the flooding.

After a sightseeing flight, he got out of a helicopter in Verden/Aller on Sunday morning. The Chancellor (SPD) wanted to discuss the situation with his party colleagues, Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil and Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens, as well as firefighters. The Chancellor also wanted to talk to citizens and thank the emergency services.

Short break in the rain over New Year's Eve

The weather forecast is favorable. A meteorologist from the German Weather Service said on Sunday that there would be a short break in the rain over the New Year with only local showers. However, the precipitation would not be relevant to flooding, the Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency (NLWKN) announced in its situation report on Sunday morning.

According to the NLWKN, the flood peak, i.e. the highest water level during a flood, has been reached in Lower Saxony for the time being. However, water levels are still high, especially in the lower reaches of rivers. It is not yet possible to speak of an easing of the flood situation. The highest reporting level was still exceeded at numerous gauges - particularly on the Aller, Leine, Oker and Mittelweser. The NLWKN expected water levels to remain the same or fall in the affected river basins and tributaries. The district of Celle, among others, announced that the situation there was easing somewhat with falling water levels.

In addition to Lower Saxony, the south of Saxony-Anhalt on the border with Thuringia and areas in North Rhine-Westphalia are also affected by flooding. The district of Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt declared a state of disaster on Saturday. The situation on the River Helme remained critical there. With the declaration of a state of disaster, the coordination of defense measures is transferred to the district and supra-local help can also be requested, for example from the German Armed Forces.

In North Rhine-Westphalia, the situation eased slightly at the turn of the year. "Overall, the trend in water levels is declining," said a spokesperson for the NRW Ministry of the Environment when asked by the German Press Agency on Saturday.

Dykes damaged

The water has already damaged several dykes. In Haren in Emsland, emergency services repaired areas with sandbags on Sunday night. However, there was no breach in the dykes, the town emphasized. In Wathlingen near Celle, parts of a dyke were washed out and hundreds of helpers stabilized the dyke, which according to the fire department is more of a wall. The municipality is located on the Fuhse, a tributary of the Aller.

There shouldn't be too much rain in Lower Saxony on Monday night or during the rest of the day. There will be heavier rain again on Tuesday and Wednesday. The DWD meteorologist said that up to 20 liters per square meter would fall over large areas, and up to 30 liters in the Harz Mountains. "We're getting into severe and critical areas again." If current forecasts are confirmed, the NLWKN announced that there will be further local increases in the new year.

Fireworks sometimes not permitted on New Year's Eve

In order to save the emergency services extra work, several cities recommended not using fireworks and firecrackers on New Year's Eve, such as the city of Celle. The emergency services were already very busy with the floods. Environment Minister Christian Meyer (Greens) also recommended not using firecrackers on New Year's Eve in areas affected by flooding. In some cases, firecrackers have also been banned, such as in the municipality of Lilienthal in the district of Osterholz and in Bremen.

Expansion of disaster control required

In view of the flooding in Lower Saxony, the Association of Cities and Towns is calling on the federal and state governments to provide significantly more money for disaster control. "The federal and state governments must once again significantly increase funding for flood and disaster protection - on a permanent basis and not ad hoc via special programs. In the past, too much money has been saved on civil protection," Managing Director Helmut Dedy told the German Press Agency on Sunday.

He also called for greater involvement of local authorities. "The Joint Civil Protection Competence Center set up in 2022 is a first step. However, it can only work well if the municipalities are involved much more than before and on an equal footing." The situation can best be assessed locally.

Weather forecast German Weather Service for Lower Saxony Pegelonline Situation reports Lower Saxony