Lower Saxony asks Bundeswehr for help
The authorities have not yet seen any relief in the fight against the floods in Lower Saxony. To ensure the stability of the dykes, the state is now alerting the German Armed Forces. They are to provide support with helicopters in an emergency.
The state of Lower Saxony has requested support from the German Armed Forces due to the current flood situation. A request for assistance had already been received on Thursday evening, said a spokesperson for the Territorial Command of the Armed Forces in the afternoon. Accordingly, six helicopters were put on standby.
So far, however, no support has been provided as a result of the request, the spokesman continued. He named the area around Oldenburg and the region north of Hanover as possible areas of operation. "First and foremost, it's about securing dykes," said the spokesperson. However, personnel and material transportation and, if necessary, evacuations of endangered people are also possible. However, this last request was initially only made as a precautionary measure.
According to a report in "Der Spiegel", the helicopters are to drop textile containers filled with construction material if dykes are softened or even break. This is intended to stabilize the dykes and slow down the flow of water. In many places, these have already been softened by the masses of water that helpers can no longer reach them with vehicles.
Many rivers in Lower Saxony are currently flooding after heavy rainfall and, in some cases, due to melting snow in the Harz Mountains. State Interior Minister Daniela Behrens spoke of a "very, very tense situation" on Deutschlandfunk radio this morning. Almost all of Lower Saxony is under water. Around 100,000 firefighters and technical relief workers (THW) were therefore deployed everywhere.
There is "really no relief in sight yet", added Behrens. According to the weather forecast, there will be more rain and storms over the next few days. This will not ease the situation, but rather "exacerbate it in one place or another".
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The federal armed forces, specifically six helicopters, have been placed on standby by Lower Saxony's authorities to aid in the flood relief efforts. The German Armed Forces have been requested by Lower Saxony to provide assistance due to the severe flooding in the region, primarily to secure dykes and potentially evacuate endangered individuals.
Source: www.ntv.de
