Levels rise again, especially on the Hunte and Hase rivers

Flood - Levels rise again, especially on the Hunte and Hase rivers

The flood situation in some regions of Lower Saxony remains tense even after more than a week. Numerous water levels in several rivers are still above the highest reporting level and thousands of people are working continuously. In some cases, people are still unable to return to their homes. Among other things, a mobile dyke from abroad is to provide additional protection.

Authorities expect rising water levels in lower reaches

The continuous rain of the past few days has caused water levels to rise again, particularly in the catchment areas of the Hunte near Bremen and the Hase in Emsland. As a result, rising water levels are to be expected in the lower reaches, according to a flood situation report published by the State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation (NLWKN) on Thursday afternoon.

The Hase is a tributary of the Ems and flows through several districts - such as Osnabrück and Emsland. The Hunte is a tributary of the Weser.

There are still numerous water levels above the highest reporting level - in addition to the Hase and Hunte, also the Aller, Leine and Weser, it was reported. According to the NLWKN, there is a risk of flooding of larger areas as well as individual properties, streets and cellars if the third reporting level is reached.

Several municipalities in flood focus

A so-called exceptional event has been declared in several regions. This means that districts or cities can, for example, access emergency services more easily.

As has been the case for several days, six districts and the city of Oldenburg are affected, as a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior in Hanover told the German Press Agency on Thursday. The affected districts are Celle, Oldenburg, Emsland, Osterholz, Heidekreis and Verden. The city of Oldenburg extended the ban on entering dykes once again.

Dyke system arrives from France

Lower Saxony can also rely on help from abroad. French aid workers have set up a mobile dyke in the municipality of Winsen an der Aller to protect against flooding. According to the Ministry of the Interior, France offered Lower Saxony the team of 39 experts and 16 vehicles via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

The deployment in the district of Celle, where 600 meters of the 1.2-kilometre-long dyke system will initially be installed, is the first time that Lower Saxony has taken advantage of assistance from the EU procedure. "This is a great sign of international solidarity, especially as France is also currently dealing with flooding," said Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD).

In addition to France, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Sweden, Slovakia and Hungary, among others, had offered support if further assistance was needed.

Several mobile dykes have already been deployed in Lower Saxony since the floods began. These usually consist of several parts that are connected. Some of these mobile dikes look like large water hoses.

Further evacuations near Bremen

In some places, residents are still unable to enter their homes. Dozens of houses and apartments have been evacuated in the municipality of Lilienthal near Bremen, for example. According to the community of around 20,000 inhabitants, it was not initially known how many people were affected. However, some of those affected have already been able to return to their homes in the past few days.

There are also restrictions for holidaymakers: Vacation homes in East Frisia on the Großes Meer lake have been evacuated as a precautionary measure due to the flooding. According to information available so far, around a dozen people were affected late on Wednesday evening, as Südbrookmerland Touristik GmbH announced on Thursday. The evacuees were taken to nearby accommodation.

Swimmer with wetsuit and swimming cap in flood area

A swimmer in the flood area of Hanover has triggered an unnecessary large-scale operation. "We are stunned", said fire department spokesman Kristof Schwake on Thursday. According to him, a large contingent of up to 100 people, boats, divers, drones and a helicopter were deployed in the urban area for nothing.

In the morning, a woman had initially reported that a person might have been swept away by the current in the high water, said Schwake. The emergency services had been deployed over a wide area of the city because there is sometimes a high current speed in the flood area, which is underestimated - and a person could have drifted a long way.

During the search, other witnesses contacted the fire department who had seen a swimmer in a wetsuit and swimming cap. The swimmer got out of the water and rode off on his bike.

Less rain could ease the flood situation

The rain is expected to ease in the coming days. A spokesman for the German Weather Service said that the situation could finally be said to be easing. Rain is expected again on Friday, but not much compared to the last few days.

Overall, it will be drier and much colder. From the weekend, winter is expected to set in with snow showers, permafrost even during the day and icy conditions with temperatures down to minus seven degrees.

Warnings from the NLWKN