No all-clear in flood areas - rain expected

Storm - No all-clear in flood areas - rain expected

The situation in the flood areas remains threatening. The German Weather Service (DWD) predicted heavy rainfall in some areas. In the congested areas of the Bergisches Land and Siegerland in North Rhine-Westphalia as well as the Harz mountains, continuous rain is expected from Friday morning until Saturday night. Up to 40 liters per square meter could fall within 24 hours. The situation in Lower Saxony is tense. In eastern Germany, too, many fire departments are still in continuous operation.

In Lower Saxony, areas along the rivers Aller, Leine and Weser in the southern and central part of the state are affected. The situation there worsened further on Thursday. The dykes were no longer able to withstand the masses of water everywhere. Thousands of aid workers were deployed across the country. Evacuations were prepared in some places. In the municipality of Langlingen in the district of Celle, around 120 people left their houses and apartments during the night as a precaution. This morning, the state government plans to give an update on the flood situation at a press conference.

Weil: "Experts have been warning for a long time"

Minister President Stephan Weil (SPD) said on Thursday that there had never been a flood of this magnitude before. "Experts have been warning for a long time that the increasingly frequent extreme weather events are linked to climate change," he said. According to the Ministry of the Interior, a so-called exceptional event was declared in six districts and the city of Oldenburg. This measure allows districts to access emergency services more easily, for example.

The all-clear has not yet been given around Bremen either. According to the authorities on Thursday evening, numerous houses along the Wümme in the Katrepel area are surrounded by water and without power. Most of the residents had left the area. In the district of Timmersloh, the water is standing on the dykes. Roads and fields were flooded. According to information from the interior authorities, measures have already had to be taken several times to secure the dykes.

No all-clear yet on the Elbe

Rising water levels are expected on the Elbe in Dresden. In the early hours of Thursday afternoon, 5.92 meters were measured. This was still just below the six-meter mark, above which the second-highest alert level 3 would apply. The state flood control center expected this limit to be exceeded in the morning - but only very slightly at a maximum of 6.01 meters. A water level of 2.00 meters is normal in the Elbe in the state capital.

Hydrologists expect the Elbe flood waters to recede from today onwards, according to a spokesman for the State Office for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology. Only localized light rain is expected, in the Czech catchment area of the Elbe neither precipitation nor snowmelt is expected until today.

Downstream in Magdeburg and Schönebeck in Saxony-Anhalt, the State Office for Flood Protection and Water Management opened the Pretzien weir on Thursday. This means that around a third of the Elbe water will be diverted past the two towns through a bypass channel and across meadows and fields before flowing back into the Elbe.

In the north of Thuringia, the view is directed towards the Kelbra dam, from which water has been released. In the village of Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth, around 30 houses were in danger of being flooded, according to a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior on Thursday. Emergency services had set up 6000 sandbags on the riverbank to prevent this. According to the information, the water was about ten centimetres below the edge of the bank.

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1. Due to the heavy rainfall predicted by the DWD, emergency situations are expected in flood-prone areas, such as the Bergisches Land and Siegerland in North Rhine-Westphalia.
2. In Lower Saxony, areas along the rivers Aller, Leine, and Weser are experiencing worsening flood conditions, with dykes unable to withstand the water in many places.
3. Thousands of aid workers are deployed across Germany to assist in flood-related efforts, and evacuations are being prepared in some areas.
4. In Langlingen, a municipality in the district of Celle, around 120 people evacuated their homes and apartments as a precaution due to potential flooding.
5. Minister President Stephan Weil of Lower Saxony stated that experts have warned for a long time about the increase in extreme weather events being linked to climate change.
6. The city of Oldenburg in Lower Saxony declared an 'exceptional event,' allowing districts to access emergency services more easily.
7. Bremen is also affected by the flood situation, with numerous houses along the Wümme surrounded by water and without power, forcing most residents to evacuate.
8. Measures have already been taken several times in the Timmersloh district to secure the dykes due to rising water levels.
9. In Dresden, the second-highest flood alert level 3 is approaching as water levels on the Elbe rise, but are still below the required 6 meters.
10. Hydrologists expect the Elbe flood waters to start receding today, with only light rain expected and no additional precipitation or snowmelt anticipated in the Czech catchment area.
11. In Thuringia, the Kelbra dam has released water, and emergency services have set up sandbags to prevent around 30 houses in Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth from flooding, which is currently around ten centimeters below the riverbank.

Source: www.stern.de