No tidal wave in Braunschweig, Dresden raises alert level
Hundreds of people have to leave their homes over the Christmas holidays due to flooding. The situation will remain tense over the next few days, according to the authorities in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, among others. The weather forecast offers some hope.
The flood situation in many regions of Germany appears to be easing slightly after several days of continuous rain in the first towns and villages. The police in Thuringia report that the water levels have largely receded. In Windehausen in the north of the state, for example, the situation has eased considerably, said a police spokesman early this morning. The weather forecast gives hope for further easing: during the day there should only be some rain in the north-west of Germany, otherwise it will remain dry, with some major clearing.
A cautious all-clear can also be given from Lower Saxony: After the emergency overflow of the Oker dam was opened, the feared flood wave in Braunschweig did not materialize, as reported by NDR. The water in the Oker had not risen so high that the mobile dyke had to be deployed and the situation was not as dramatic as feared. Nevertheless, the situation remains tense according to the authorities: The level of the river continues to rise, slightly and steadily.
Over the Christmas holidays, the flood situation had worsened in several regions such as northern Thuringia. The local administration called on the residents of Windehausen to leave the area on Monday. The village could no longer be reached by normal cars due to the flooding, and electricity is not expected to be available for several more days.
Extent difficult to predict
In Saxony-Anhalt, around 180 residents of the village of Thürungen were asked to seek safety on Tuesday due to the threat of flooding at the Kelbra reservoir and the Helme river. In other places in the region, residents should prepare for possible evacuations. The extent of possible flooding is difficult to predict, according to a spokeswoman for the Mansfeld-Südharz district.
Hundreds of people in Rinteln in Lower Saxony and Windehausen in Thuringia also had to leave their houses and apartments due to flooding over the Christmas holidays. As here, rivers bursting their banks in other federal states transformed the surrounding area into extensive water landscapes.
On Tuesday, a softened dam had already burst in Northeim in southern Lower Saxony. Helpers were in constant action to secure the damaged bulwarks with sandbags. A dam also broke in Uplengen in the East Frisian district of Leer. Other areas are also still facing the most critical situation: the highest water levels of a flood wave are expected on the Elbe during the course of the day. This is due to the melting snow and heavy rainfall in the Giant Mountains, according to reports. Dresden declared alert level 3 for the Elbe in the evening.
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Despite the improvement in some areas, the flood situation in International Germany continues to be a concern. In Braunschweig, located in Lower Saxony, the feared tidal wave did not materialize, but the river level is still rising. Meanwhile, Thuringia, another region in Lower Saxony, faced severe flooding over the Christmas holidays, forcing residents of Windehausen to evacuate. In Dresden, located in Saxony, the alert level was raised due to the anticipated high water levels on the Elbe.
Source: www.ntv.de
