Regions continue to grapple with flooding

Storm - Regions continue to grapple with flooding

The flood situation remains tense on some rivers in Germany. Areas affected include the Elbe in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt and the Weser in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.

In Dresden, the six-meter mark on the Elbe is expected to be exceeded this morning. In order to protect Saxony-Anhalt's capital Magdeburg from flooding, the Pretzien weir will be raised in the morning. The weir, which is around 135 meters long, was last opened in June 2013. It will now also ensure that a third of the Elbe water flows into a 21-kilometre-long canal around Schönebeck, Magdeburg and other towns in the Elbe lowlands until it flows back into the Elbe.

Levels expected to rise in some places

The highest flood alert level 4 is expected to apply to the Helme over the next few days. In Lower Saxony, the State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation is expecting water levels to continue to rise, particularly on the Middle Weser and the upper reaches of the Aller, Leine and Oker rivers. According to the local fire department, a dyke broke in the municipality of Lilienthal near Bremen and the affected area was evacuated on Wednesday afternoon. Further roads were evacuated during the night due to a soaked dyke. In neighboring Bremen, the flood situation in the Borgfeld district is similarly tense. Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer (SPD) wants to see the situation for himself. In the Bremen district of Timmersloh, the dykes could be reworked so that no more evacuations had to take place there, as a fire department spokesman said in the early morning.

Around 300 people had to leave their homes in the municipality of Winsen in Lower Saxony due to the Aller flood. The settlements of Westohe and Südohe had to be evacuated, the district of Celle announced on Wednesday evening. The water level on the streets there had risen to around 40 to 50 centimetres, so the electricity had been switched off for safety reasons. The Allertal sports hall in Winsen is currently being used as an emergency shelter. In some places in the district of Verden, a "threatening situation" continued to prevail during the night due to the high water and softening dykes, according to a fire department spokesperson.

Several districts in Lower Saxony declared a preliminary stage of disaster alert - this means that the district administrations have easier access to aid workers, among other things. According to state fire director Dieter Rohrberg, the town of Sarstedt in the district of Hildesheim, where the Innerste and Leine rivers meet, was particularly affected.

On the upper reaches of the Weser from Hann. Münden to Höxter in North Rhine-Westphalia, the water levels fell on Wednesday, according to the state agency, but rising water levels were forecast for the middle Weser. At the Drakenburg gauge in the district of Nienburg, the previous record level from 1981, namely 8.34 meters, could even be exceeded, it said. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the numerous reservoirs also remain under observation.

Short break in the rain

Some are hoping for a brief respite: according to the forecast of the German Weather Service (DWD), it should remain largely dry in Germany today. This could ease the flood situation on some rivers somewhat. However, according to the DWD, the risk of heavier rainfall will then increase again. "In the west and northwest in particular, the weather models indicate a lot of wet weather, which will probably cause river levels to rise again quickly," said a meteorologist on Wednesday.

Climate change is making extreme weather events more likely. Potsdam climate researcher Stefan Rahmstorf wrote on X on Christmas Eve: "Extreme precipitation is increasing worldwide and also in our country due to #global warming. Climate researchers have been warning about this for over 30 years; the data from weather stations has long since confirmed this."

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1. Even in the beautiful region of Saxony-Anhalt, the flood situation on some rivers, such as the Elbe, remains tense.
2. Bremen and Lower Saxony are also dealing with the impact of flooding along the Weser and Aller rivers, respectively.
3. Incidentally, the city of Dresden in Saxony is expected to surpass the 6-meter mark on the Elbe this morning.
4. To protect Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt, from flooding, the Pretzien weir in the middle Weser will be raised.
5. This weir, which is 135 meters long, was last opened in June 2013 and will now divert a third of the Elbe water into a 21-kilometer canal.
6. In Lower Saxony, particularly on the Middle Weser and the upper reaches of the Aller, Leine, and Oker rivers, water levels are predicted to continue rising.
7. A dyke broke in Lilienthal near Bremen, leading to evacuation of affected areas on Wednesday afternoon.
8. Similarly, the flood situation in Bremen's Borgfeld district is pressing, with Interior Senator Ulrich Mäurer (SPD) planning to visit on Thursday.
9. Around 300 people in Winsen, Lower Saxony, were forced to leave their homes due to the Aller flood.
10. In North Rhine-Westphalia, heavier rainfall is expected to raise water levels again near the end of the dry period, leading to renewed concerns.
11. Stefan Rahmstorf, a Potsdam climate researcher, emphasized on Christmas Eve that extreme precipitation events are becoming more frequent due to global warming.

Source: www.stern.de