Flood risk increases due to expected continuous rain

Weather - Flood risk increases due to expected continuous rain

Heavy rainfall is expected in parts of Thuringia from Tuesday onwards, increasing the risk of flooding again, especially on the Werra, Saale, Unstrut and Zorge rivers. In the southern Harz and Thuringian Forest, 40 to 60 liters of rain per square meter could fall within 48 hours, and up to 80 liters in congested areas. Above 600 meters, snowfall is possible, according to the State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation in Jena.

On the Helme in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, a decision is to be made on Tuesday as to whether a dyke breach will be deepened again in order to divert floodwater onto fields.

According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there could be heavy rainfall in the districts of Hildburghausen, Nordhausen, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, Schmalkalden-Meiningen, Sonneberg, the Ilm district and Suhl until Thursday.

After a slight easing of the flood situation on the Helme in the Kyffhäuserkreis district on New Year's Day, a spokesperson for the district administration told dpa. "We already have concerns."

In order to relieve the Kelbra dam in Saxony-Anhalt and create storage space for the predicted rainfall, more water will be released into the Helme. We are talking about five cubic meters more water per second. For this reason, there are considerations to deepen the dyke breakthrough near the village of Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth in the Kyffhäuserkreis district, which has been widened to 45 meters in the past few days, for a second time. Beforehand, however, it was to be checked on Tuesday whether the floodplains near the village could absorb even more water.

According to the Thuringian State Office for the Environment, Mining and Nature Conservation in Jena, on New Year's Day the water level at all flood warning gauges was below the reference value for the start of the reporting period. One exception was the Hinternah gauge in Hildburghausen. According to the weather forecasts, however, the downward trend will only continue until midday on Tuesday.

Thuringian Flood Information Center

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1. In response to the predicted continuous rain in parts of Thuringia, authorities are monitoring the environmental impact and flood risk in areas like Hildburghausen and Suhl.
2. To manage the flood risk and divert excess water, a decision will be made in Hildburghausen's Kyffhäuserkreis district to deepen a dyke breach on the Helme river.
3. The District Administration in Hildburghausen has expressed concerns, even after a slight improvement in the flood situation on New Year's Day.
4. To create storage space for expected rainfall, more water will be released from the Kelbra dam in Saxony-Anhalt into the Helme river, increasing the flood risk in certain areas.
5. In regions like Jena and the Thuringian Forest, continuous rain could lead to heavy precipitation, potentially exceeding 80 liters per square meter in congested areas.
6. The German Weather Service (DWD) has issued flood warnings for districts like Hildburghausen, Nordhausen, Saalfeld-Rudolstadt, and Schmalkalden-Meiningen, among others, until Thursday.
7. In Sondershausen, emergency services are preparing for potential emergencies due to the forecast of continuous rain and the increased flood risk.
8. To assess the impact of the predicted rain on floodplains near the village of Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth, experts will examine the situation on Tuesday.
9. Precipitation in areas like the Werra, Unstrut, and Saale rivers in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt is expected to increase the flood risk, potentially causing additional challenges for local communities and wildlife in the Thuringian Forest.

Source: www.stern.de