Harz foreland - Flood situation on the Helme remains tense: Dyke opening deepened
The situation on the River Helme on the state border between Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt remains tense and several towns need to be protected from flooding. According to the district administration of the Kyffhäuserkreis, a dyke breach in Thuringia is to be deepened on Sunday so that more water can flow from the river onto agricultural land. This involves deepening a dyke breach near the village of Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth, which has already been widened several times in recent days. In the neighboring district of Mansfeld-Südharz, a disaster situation was still in effect due to the flooding.
More Helme water to flow into Rieth
The villages of Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth and Heygendorf in the Kyffhäuserkreis district are to continue to be protected from the floods by deepening the dyke breakthrough. The Alte Rieth near the village still has the capacity to absorb water, said a spokesperson for the district office in Sondershausen.
Due to the rising groundwater level in Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth, some of the residents are currently unable to use bathrooms and sanitary facilities in their homes. People from three houses have been provided with a sanitary container. The small village has around 300 inhabitants.
No disaster in the Kyffhäuserkreis district
According to the two district offices in Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt, the Helme is still heavily polluted due to the constant flow of water from the Kelbra reservoir. In the Kyffhäuserkreis, however, there are currently no plans to declare a state of emergency as in the neighboring region in Saxony-Anhalt, said the spokesman for the district office in response to a dpa inquiry. "That is not an option right now. But we are reassessing the situation every day."
A protective wall near Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth, from which unknown persons had stolen sandbags over a length of 40 meters, had been restored, the spokesman said. 20 meters of the protective wall had been completely removed. The district office is pressing charges.
Dyke secured in the Mansfeld-Südharz district
On Sunday night, around 130 emergency services secured a heavily soaked dyke along the Helme river with thousands of sandbags, explained the Mansfeld-Südharz district office. The dykes were being closely monitored.
The district had declared a disaster situation due to the long duration of the flood defense measures. Although the water discharge from the Kelbra dam is currently not being increased any further, considerable damage must already be assumed. With the declaration of a disaster situation, responsibility for coordinating the defense measures is transferred to the district.
According to the Thuringian State Office for the Environment, the overall flood situation in Thuringia has calmed down. Falling water levels were also recorded on most of the rivers in Saxony-Anhalt.
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Source: www.stern.de
