High flood risk in parts of Germany

Weather - High flood risk in parts of Germany - town evacuated

In view of persistent rainfall and saturated soils, the risk of flooding remains high in parts of Germany. The German Weather Service (DWD) continues to warn of persistent rain in several regions.

Windehausen (Nordhausen district) in northern Thuringia is particularly badly affected. The flooding situation there worsened to such an extent that the entire district of Heringen, which has just under 500 inhabitants, had to be evacuated on Christmas Day. "The situation is very threatening, I have never seen anything like it in the Goldene Aue," said the mayor of Heringen, Matthias Marquardt (Left Party), to the German Press Agency.

By late evening, he estimated that around 400 people had left their homes. "Around 100 people remained in their homes," reported the mayor. Not all buildings in the district were threatened by the flood.

The water was up to one meter high in the village in places. There was no electricity, no access and no landline telephony, the mayor described the critical situation. In addition, the toilets were no longer working due to the lack of drains. Residents were therefore urgently advised to leave their homes. However, the mayor emphasized that people would not be taken from their homes by police force.

"Like a bathtub that has overflowed"

Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow (Left Party), who visited the site himself on Monday, wrote on the internet platform X (formerly Twitter): "I hope that all those affected by the floods will be able to return home as soon as possible." It is still uncertain when people will actually be able to return to their homes in Windehausen. The mayor expects the flood situation there to continue for several more days. "It's like a bathtub that has filled up."

The residents have been evacuated since Monday afternoon using wheel loaders and disaster control vehicles. They were taken to assembly points and from there by bus to a gymnasium in Heringen. Many residents were accommodated with family members.

The flood situation also remained tense in parts of Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony. On Christmas Eve, a 45-year-old female driver got her car stuck in the floodwater in Frankenberg (Central Saxony district) and was rescued unharmed by the fire department.

Railroad tracks are washed out

Rail traffic on the line between Hanover and Magdeburg is expected to be disrupted until Wednesday (December 27). IC trains will be diverted in both directions and will be delayed by around 30 minutes as a result, Deutsche Bahn announced on its website. The reason for this is that the tracks on the line from Magdeburg to Helmstedt are undermined.

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 situation was tense in other regions of Lower Saxony. Hundreds of volunteer firefighters were deployed in the district of Northeim and in the Harz Mountains, among others, to build dykes with sandbags and protect residential areas from flooding. In Celle, a retirement and nursing home had to be evacuated as a precaution. Due to the flood situation, the city of Oldenburg issued a ban on entering dyke areas and paths.

In contrast, the flood situation in Hamburg and parts of Schleswig-Holstein remained largely relaxed on Christmas Day. A value of 1.5 meters above mean high water (MHW) was expected for Hamburg on the Elbe. Levels of 1.50 meters or more are considered a storm surge.

In view of the heavy rainfall and flooding in many parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Environment Minister Oliver Krischer has continued to urge great caution. "We have a tense flood situation in North Rhine-Westphalia," said the Green politician on Christmas Day in Oberhausen, where he was informed about the situation on the Ruhr dyke. There was no reason to give the all-clear yet - "quite the opposite". In view of further rainfall, the situation is expected to remain tense for the time being. According to data released by the State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (Lanuv) on Monday morning, the Weser tributaries in the eastern part of the state remain particularly badly affected.

Weather service warns of continuous rain

In contrast, the situation on the rivers and streams in Rhineland-Palatinate is easing noticeably, according to the flood control center. According to the flood forecasting center, the water levels on the Upper Rhine are already dropping again up to and including Worms. According to the information, the water level on the Moselle in Trier peaked at 6.14 meters on Monday night. Since then, falling values have been measured there.

The flood situation in Bavaria has also calmed down somewhat, according to the Flood Information Service (HND). Franconia and eastern Bavaria were particularly affected. In Nabburg (Schwandorf district), a canoeist capsized on the Naab. He was able to save himself from the river.

The German Weather Service continues to warn of persistent rain in several regions. Especially in the western low mountain ranges - from the Bergisches Land to the Weserbergland - and in the Upper Harz, high amounts are still to be expected, according to a DWD severe weather warning issued on Monday morning. Heavy thaw was also expected in the Erzgebirge. The storm warning applied to parts of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse and Saxony. Floods are expected in streams and rivers. In addition to flooding, landslides could also occur. The majority of the country will remain under the influence of mild and very humid air masses. The continuous rain will continue until Tuesday in some places.