Meteorological Conditions - Increasing water levels in the Rhine cause concern in Hesse.
The water levels in Hesse are gradually decreasing, although four gauges on the Neckar and Rhine will still exceed warning levels. The Hessian State Office for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG) shared this update on Tuesday, stating that falling water levels are anticipated for all gauges on the two rivers starting from Wednesday. However, these levels will still stay within Hessian warning levels.
The gauge in Worms on the Rhine should go below warning level 3 by Tuesday evening, as per the forecast. The peak level there was hit early in the morning. In contrast, the water levels at Mainz and Kaub on the Rhine are currently rising and have surpassed warning level 2. It's predicted that the Mainz gauge will reach peak levels on Tuesday evening and the Kaub gauge in the early hours of Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Neckar's water levels are already dropping. The gauge in Rockenau is likely to be below warning level 3 by midday on Tuesday. The water levels on the Main are expected to remain moderately high on Tuesday but probably won't surpass warning levels in the near future.
Hesse has been generally spared from the flood's impact, according to HLNUG. The state's emergency services are thus aiding those severely affected in southern Germany. For instance, 54 volunteers from the German Life Saving Association (DLRG) and the German Red Cross (DRK) of the Main-Kinzig district are rendering assistance in Donauwörth, Bavaria. Their deployment occurred on Monday, since several villages in the area were evacuated as dams were at risk of breaking.
Since Monday, water was being pumped from a flooded region next to the decommissioned Biblis nuclear power plant. An RWE spokesperson noted that the circumstances didn't affect the decommissioned plant at all. The submerged area used to hold the two towers of Block A's cooling facilities. The water is reportedly emerging from the ground there and is carried out through a drainage system towards neighboring fields.
Ingelheim's Rhine ferry has been out of service since Tuesday and is predicted to remain in that state until late Thursday. The ferry operator communicated this on their website. The ferry usually serves the Rhineland-Palatinate town of Ingelheim (Mainz-Bingen district) and the Hessian Oestrich-Winkel (Rheingau-Taunus district).
Essentially, Hesse is experiencing a less severe flood situation compared to other parts of Germany.
