Weather - No easing of the flood situation: Main moves into focus
Despite further rainfall, the flood situation on the rivers in Hesse did not worsen in many places on Thursday. The most affected rivers were still the Fulda, Lahn, Eder and Kinzig and their tributaries. In the coming days, the Main is likely to come more into focus: The Hessian State Agency for Nature Conservation, Environment and Geology (HLNUG) assumed that the river would reach reporting level 1 at the Klein-Krotzenburg, Frankfurt-Osthafen and Raunheim gauges this Friday and flood riverbank areas along its course.
On Thursday lunchtime, the highest reporting level 3 was no longer reached at any gauge in Hesse. The second-highest level was reached at several locations along the Fulda and the Kinzig in Gelnhausen (Main-Kinzig district) and along the Lahn. A total of 36 gauging stations exceeded reporting levels.
At reporting level 1, the waters are full to the brim and smaller banks are flooded. According to the HLNUG definition, reporting level 2 corresponds to a "major flood", which floods properties close to the banks and occasionally causes cellars to overflow. From reporting level 3, towns are enclosed by floodwater and roads are no longer passable.
City of Offenbach: Avoid areas in front of the dyke
On the south bank of the Main in Frankfurt, the water had reached the upper edge of the quay in places on Thursday. A few kilometers upstream, the city of Offenbach warned that the Main could overflow its banks in sections along the entire cycle and footpath in front of the dyke. Citizens were urged to avoid the area and to be careful. According to the information provided, the level 1 alert was already temporarily in place in Offenbach on Christmas Eve. Since then, the responsible departments of the municipal utilities have been ready to secure the dyke gates at any time. However, this has not yet been necessary due to the fact that the water level has fallen in the meantime.
In Niederaula (Hersfeld-Rotenburg district), three people got their car stuck in a road that was closed due to flooding on Wednesday evening. According to the police, they rescued themselves on foot onto a bridge, made an emergency call and were eventually brought to safety by the fire department in a boat. A few hours earlier, the fire department in Fulda had rescued a person from the floodwater in a rubber dinghy who was stuck in the knee-deep floodwater with a strong current and was holding on to a tree.
Until Friday morning, the German Weather Service (DWD) continued to issue a storm warning for heavy rainfall in the Westerwald, Vogelsberg and Rhön. On Friday night, the DWD expected persistent rain in the north-east of Hesse. Friday should be mostly cloudy with occasional rain, especially in the northern half of the state. In the southern half, there should be some clearing and hardly any rain.
Kinzigtalsperre passes first test after renovation
According to the operator, the Kinzigtalsperre dam near Bad Soden-Salmünster has overcome the first challenge after its extensive renovation in the continuous rain of the past few days. "It passed its test perfectly with an inflow of 70 cubic meters per second on Wednesday night," Holger Scheffler, Managing Director of the Kinzig Water Association, told the German Press Agency.
The employees at the dam were on duty all night and did a very good job, he added. The current flooding in the lower reaches of the Kinzig, such as in the Gelnhausen area, had nothing to do with the dam, but was caused by the two tributaries Bracht and Salz, which flowed unchecked from the Vogelsberg into the Kinzig.
According to Scheffler, the Kinzig dam is currently operating normally in winter with a discharge of up to 40 cubic meters of water per second. The water is still being held back and dammed up, he explained. There is no danger of overflowing.
Forecast Hesse Map of the HLNUG Storm warning Kinzig Water Association
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- The fire department in Offenbach was ready to intervene if needed, as the Main was approaching reporting level 1 at several points along its course.
- Despite the relaxation in some areas, the flooding situation in Hesse remained a key concern, particularly along the Lahn, Eder, and Fulda rivers.
- In Frankfurt, the fire department kept a close eye on the Main river, as a flood wave was expected to reach reporting level 1 at several gauges by Friday.
- The rain had caused the water levels in the Kinzig river to rise, and the fire department in Fulda had recently rescued a person stuck in the floodwater near its banks.
- The HLNUG reported that the Main was moving into focus, as it was expected to reach reporting level 1 at several gauges in Gelnhausen, Frankfurt, and Raunheim.
- The fire department was on standby in Gelnhausen, as the Fulda river had reached reporting level 2 and was expected to rise further due to the rain.
- In Offenbach, the fire department had urged citizens to avoid areas near the Main's banks, as the flood wave was expected to overflow its banks in sections along the entire cycle and footpath.
- According to the HLNUG, the Main was likely to cause significant flooding in the coming days, with estimates suggesting that up to 36 gauging stations could exceed reporting level 1.
- The fire department in Fulda had also recently rescued a person stuck in the floodwater in a rubber dinghy, highlighting the importance of staying safe during the flood situation.
- The fire department in Hesse was working around the clock to monitor the flood situation and ensure the safety of its citizens, as heavy rain continued to fall in parts of the region.
Source: www.stern.de
