Mansfeld-Südharz district declares disaster - Oldenburg prepares for possible evacuation

Floods: District in Saxony-Anhalt declares a state of disaster
Bremen extends firecracker ban due to flooding
Flood support - platform set up in Lilienthal
Relaxation in the Serengeti Park
Oldenburg prepares for possible evacuation - dykes currently stable
Situation in Hatten remains critical - New Year's Eve firecracker ban lifted
Federal police continue to support dike protection near Oldenburg
Several flood peaks exceeded on the Aller and Weser rivers
Sandbags stolen in Thuringia
Levels falling in NRW

Flood situation in Germany - Mansfeld-Südharz district declares disaster - Oldenburg prepares for possible evacuation

The situation in the flood areas in Germany remains critical on Saturday. Parts of Lower Saxony and southern Saxony-Anhalt on the border with Thuringia are among those affected. However, in Lower Saxony, the second largest federal state in terms of area, there were signs of a slight easing in some places.

An overview of the current situation:

Floods: District in Saxony-Anhalt declares a state of disaster

The district of Mansfeld-Südharz has declared a state of disaster due to the flooding. The decision was justified by the long duration of the defense measures against the flood situation, announced district administrator André Schröder on Saturday. The Kelbra dam on the state border with Thuringia has been drained in a controlled manner for several days because it was threatening to overflow. As a result, the water level of the Helme has risen sharply. On Thursday evening, the authorities opened a dyke on the river so that the water can run off into open fields in the direction of Thuringia. The mayor of the municipality of Südharz, Peter Kohl, described the situation as critical. According to the district, there are currently no plans to evacuate people or call in the German army.

Bremen extends ban on fireworks due to flooding

Due to the persistent flooding and the resulting reduced refuge for wild animals, Bremen is extending the ban on firecrackers already in place for New Year's Eve. From 6 p.m. on New Year's Eve until 6 a.m. on New Year's Day, no fireworks may be set off anywhere in Bremen within a zone of 300 meters of open landscapes such as meadows, fields or moors, the Department of the Interior announced on Saturday. Previously, the ban on fireworks already applied to three districts in Bremen.

Dogs must also be kept on a lead until Friday of next week. Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer (SPD) appealed to citizens to show consideration for wildlife and to seek out other areas for private fireworks displays. "For wild animals, fleeing the floods already means maximum stress. Fireworks in the immediate vicinity would panic the animals and possibly drive them into the water and thus to their deaths," said the senator in a statement.

Flood support - platform set up in Lilienthal

In Lilienthal near Bremen, citizens can now offer each other help online. In view of the flooding, the volunteer agency has set up a platform for this purpose, as the municipality announced on Saturday. Citizens can ask for tools, donations in kind or a sympathetic ear - or offer help. Requests or offers must be sent by email to [email protected].

Relaxation in the Serengeti Park

In the Serengeti Park in Hodenhagen, Lower Saxony, the critical flood situation has eased slightly. Pumps on the site had managed to push large amounts of water behind the dyke towards the Meisse, said a spokeswoman for the leisure park north of Hanover. The water in the antelope and giraffe animal house had also sunk noticeably and flowed out of the building again. However, according to the park, large parts of the grounds are still flooded and in some cases inaccessible. The park is home to lions, rhinos, tigers and elephants, among others.

Oldenburg prepares for possible evacuation - dykes currently stable

In the city of Oldenburg in Lower Saxony, preparations are being made for a possible evacuation due to the flooding. The dykes are still under high pressure, the city announced on Saturday. Water levels would only drop marginally at most. So far, however, the dykes are dry and stable.

According to the information, the Achterdiek area, where the Küstenkanal flows into the Hunte, is particularly affected. "This is a precautionary measure - a concrete evacuation is currently not planned," it said in a statement. Emergency accommodation is available for affected citizens, it said. Regardless of this, access to the dykes is still prohibited.

Situation in Hatten remains critical - New Year's Eve firecracker ban lifted

The flood situation in Hatten near Oldenburg remains critical. However, the water levels are stable and there are no new places where dykes need to be secured, the municipality announced on Saturday. Dike protection measures already underway should be completed by the evening. Residents of a residential area that had been evacuated as a precautionary measure would then probably be able to return to their homes from Sunday.

There are currently 400 emergency services working in the municipality. Among other things, tracked vehicles and helicopters are being used to secure dykes, which will also be constantly monitored in the coming days.

A ban on fireworks planned for New Year's Eve will not be introduced in the municipality after all. The situation has been reassessed, according to the town hall. However, Mayor Guido Heinsich (non-party) warned that citizens should handle fireworks responsibly so as not to unnecessarily burden the emergency services.

Federal police continue to support dyke protection near Oldenburg

The Federal Police are continuing to support the dyke protection near Oldenburg in Lower Saxony with a helicopter. On Friday, a Super Puma helicopter brought particularly large sandbags to the dykes in Hatten to secure them, the Federal Police announced on Saturday. The helicopter had also been in action again on Saturday since 10 am.

According to the information, the helicopter made 19 flights on Friday and brought 13 tons of sand to the dykes. It is expected to remain in the air in the coming days. A navy helicopter also took to the skies in the region on Friday, but only made reconnaissance flights. In general, however, this helicopter is also ready to provide support in the region, said a spokesperson for the Territorial Command of the German Armed Forces on Friday.

Several flood peaks on the Aller and Weser exceeded

The floods have brought new highs at several water levels in Lower Saxony. On the Weser, for example, the water level of 835 centimetres at Drakenburg on Saturday morning exceeded the previous high from 1981 by one centimetre, as the supra-regional flood service announced on Saturday. "However, the peak has already been reached and the water levels at the gauge are falling slightly," it said.

Previous highs were also exceeded on the Aller. On Saturday morning, 580 centimetres were measured in Langlingen and 659 centimetres in Eitze. This exceeded previous flood records by five and eight centimetres respectively.

Sandbags stolen in Thuringia

In a village in the Kyffhäuserkreis district of Thuringia, helpers were horrified to discover on Saturday that unknown persons had stolen 40 meters of sandbags from the protective walls erected along the Helme. According to the district office, 20 meters of the protective wall near Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth had been completely removed. No details of the perpetrators were initially available. The district office intends to press charges.

Falling water levels in NRW

People in the flood regions of North Rhine-Westphalia can breathe a sigh of relief. "Overall, the trend in water levels is declining," said a spokesperson for the NRW Ministry of the Environment at the request of the German Press Agency on Saturday.

The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) was preparing to work in the flood areas into the first week of January. "It's quite clear that this will continue over the turn of the year," THW President Sabine Lackner told the news agency DPA on Friday. "What worries us most is the condition of the dykes." They are massively softened. Around 1,000 emergency personnel are on the move in the affected areas every day.