Flood situation remains tense: Highest levels feared

Storm - Flood situation remains tense: Highest levels feared

The flood situation remains tense in many regions of Lower Saxony over the Christmas holidays. Hundreds of volunteer firefighters are working in the district of Northeim and in the Harz Mountains, among others, to build dykes with sandbags and protect residential areas from flooding. 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 Lower Saxony Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation Agency (NLWKN) expects the levels on the Aller, Leine, Oker and their tributaries as well as the Hase to rise again on Tuesday night due to the continuing rainfall. The flood situation on the Weser will also continue to worsen, according to the NLWKN's flood report from Monday afternoon. The peak values have not yet been reached. Some gauges could even reach peak levels.

According to the authority, 45 gauges in Lower Saxony reached the third warning level on Monday night. The rivers Weser, Aller, Leine and Oker, among others, exceeded this threshold. At level three, flooding of properties and larger areas as well as roads and cellars is possible. "The soils are heavily saturated due to the rainfall of the previous weeks, so the precipitation immediately leads to an aggravation of the flood situation," said Marlena Heunecke, head of the NLWKN flood forecasting center.

The German Weather Service (DWD) issued a severe weather warning for the Harz Mountains. Rainfall of between 50 and 80 liters per square meter is expected by midday on Tuesday, and even 90 liters per square meter in so-called congested areas - i.e. on the edge of the mountains.

In Clausthal-Zellerfeld, ponds were threatening to overflow, said Steffen Klenner, spokesman for the Goslar district fire brigade association. The situation was also tense in Rhüden and Vienenburg. Emergency services erected barriers with sandbags. How the situation develops at the large reservoirs in the Harz will also be decisive, said Klenner.

According to the Harz waterworks, more water than usual was drained from the reservoirs before Christmas as a precautionary measure to prevent them from overflowing. "It's a fine line," said Norman Droste, spokesman for Harzwasserwerke, on Monday. "The reservoirs are almost full to the brim, and it is important to maintain this state." On Christmas Eve, the reservoirs were 90 percent full, compared to only 42 percent before Christmas 2022. In many regions, there is therefore concern about the Okertalsperre dam, for example.

In southern Lower Saxony, numerous roads were closed due to the flooding. In the district of Northeim, several drivers ignored this and had to be rescued from their predicament by the fire department and THW, as the police announced on Monday. The drivers were warned and have to pay fees for their offense.

Several authorities also warned walkers not to enter the completely soaked dykes. Konstantin Mennecke, spokesman for the Northeim district fire department, said that so far, the population had behaved very cautiously overall. The situation in Einbeck was very tense due to the flooding of the Leine and in Katlenburg-Lindau and Northeim due to the Rhume.

Due to the flood situation, the city of Oldenburg has issued a ban on access to dyke areas and the paths there. The ban is initially valid up to and including December 31, the administration announced on Monday. On Christmas Eve, the city set up an emergency response team and a citizens' hotline. There is continuing rainfall. The water levels of the Hunte are still rising and the flood situation is worsening. The fire department called on citizens to use the Katwarn warning app to keep up to date with acute danger situations.

The helpers in Celle also had their hands full. Large areas along the Aller and Fuhse rivers are already flooded there, as the fire department announced on Monday morning. On Christmas Eve, the fire department and technical relief organization initially protected a retirement and nursing home from the flood with sandbags. But in the course of the evening, the home had to be evacuated as a precautionary measure for safety reasons. The helpers continued filling sandbags in the city area and responding to flooded cellars well into the night.

There was also an acute warning for Rodenberg (Schaumburg district) on Christmas Eve, and the situation was also tense in Sarstedt (Hildesheim district) and Hann. Münden (Göttingen district). Emergency services were in constant action, and sandbags were also used in many places in an attempt to combat the masses of water.

As a precautionary measure, a so-called mobile dyke was set up in Braunschweig to protect the city center from flooding. It consists of rolled-out hoses that form a barrier when filled with water, the administration announced on Monday.

Water level forecast BSH Flood centers of the federal states with warnings Warning situation report of the DWD Weather forecast of the DWD Current warning messages of the NLWKN (water level online)