Land under water in Lower Saxony - and no end in sight

Flood - Land under water in Lower Saxony - and no end in sight

"We can only wait for the water to recede" - many people in Lower Saxony and Bremen are probably currently thinking like Bremen farmer Carsten Schnakenberg. Since Christmas, the floods have kept parts of both federal states in suspense. In some places, more than just roads and fields are under water.

This is also the case for Schnakenberg in the Bremen district of Timmersloh. At times, his farm was almost completely under water. At least the house remained dry; he was able to move the calves to the farm in time. But the worries don't end there - more rain is forecast for the coming days.

The German Weather Service (DWD) is expecting continuous rain in some areas of Lower Saxony until Wednesday. Precipitation of between 40 and 50 liters per square meter was expected in the districts particularly affected by the flooding, such as Celle, Verden and Oldenburg.

According to an overview by the State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation, many river levels still exceeded the highest reporting level. This means that there is a risk of major flooding, which could also cover cellars and streets with water. Locations on the Weser, Aller and Leine were affected. In the areas of the Hase and Hunte rivers, the flood situation could worsen if it continues to rain. According to the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior, the situation remained particularly tense in the districts of Celle, Oldenburg, Emsland, Osterholz and Verden as well as in the Heidekreis.

Support from the air

A federal police helicopter was deployed several times and transported around 36 tons of sand by Tuesday, according to a spokesperson. This was used to secure dykes, for example. Due to the situation in Lower Saxony, ten Bundeswehr helicopters are also on standby, according to the Lower Saxony State Command. They could, for example, help with evacuations or the transportation of particularly heavy sandbags.

Meanwhile, Lower Saxony has received further offers of support. Brandenburg's Minister President Dietmar Woidke (SPD) offered help in combating the floods. In a telephone conversation, Woidke assured head of government Stephan Weil (SPD) that he would send disaster control helpers if necessary, the state chancellery announced in Potsdam on Tuesday.

Emergency dykes to protect

In the Bremen district of Timmersloh, where Carsten Schnakenberg's farm is located, the persistent rain is likely to cause worry lines to grow again. "Every drop that comes from above is too much," said Hans-Lüder Behrens from the volunteer fire department. The water level in the village had recently dropped by around 40 centimetres. However, some streets are still only passable in rubber boots; the dykes are soaked. "They are still holding. But nobody knows how long."

In Lilienthal, north of Bremen, emergency services are also still working around the clock, according to a municipal spokeswoman. Almost 100 people in the municipality are currently unable to return to their houses or apartments and had to leave their homes during the night of December 28. 350 people have since been able to return. Among other things, particularly large sandbags and a mobile dyke were set up there to protect against the flood.

Mobile dykes were also set up in other places, such as Braunschweig and the city of Oldenburg. In Oldenburg, the emergency dyke is two kilometers long. The first part of a 1.2 kilometer long emergency dyke was to be delivered to Lower Saxony from France on Tuesday evening.

Damage becomes visible

In some places, the first signs of damage are becoming visible due to the break in the rain over New Year's Eve and the at least temporary drop in water levels, such as in Verden. However, the district fire department there has now emphasized that citizens must take care of repairing the damage themselves. Emergency services could only help in certain cases, for example if buildings or roads were sinking or cracks were visible. In the event of damage to gas or electrical installations, the responsible energy supplier should be informed. In most other cases, the fire department asks that citizens help themselves or offer support to others.

Reservoirs in the Harz region are releasing less water

The reservoirs in the Harz Mountains are still very full. However, it is possible to reduce the amount of water released in order to relieve the lower reaches of the rivers, the Harz waterworks announced on Tuesday. "The reservoirs have recovered due to the higher releases in the last few days and can take in more water again," said Lars Schmidt, Commercial Director of the waterworks. At the Oker dam, for example, which was still completely full on Boxing Day, there is now room for up to five million cubic meters of water again.

The German Weather Service (DWD) warned of storms and continuous rain in the Harz region. According to the Harz waterworks, up to 70 liters of precipitation per square meter could fall within 48 hours.

Overview from the NLWKN Weather forecast from the German Weather Service for Lower Saxony NLWKN on the flood situation NLWKN reports on the flood situation NLWKN map with water level warning levels DWD warning situation report for Lower Saxony and Bremen Message from the city