Flood control - Sandbag reserve in Lower Saxony empty: federal states help
Lower Saxony is now also drawing on reserves of sandbags from other federal states to combat flooding. Except for a small remainder, the state's own reserve of around 1.9 million sandbags stored since the start of the flood situation before Christmas has now been used, the responsible state agency for water management, coastal protection and nature conservation (NLWKN) told the German Press Agency in response to an inquiry. However, the state has now received around 1.5 million more sandbags from other federal states.
The Ministry of the Interior in Hanover has organized these sandbags via the Joint Reporting and Situation Centre of the federal and state governments. North Rhine-Westphalia is helping with around 500,000 sandbags, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with around 330,000, around 250,000 sandbags are coming from Schleswig-Holstein and around 400,000 bags from Hesse.
The sandbags are used to reinforce dykes, for example. The so-called state sandbag reserve is stored by the NLWKN at around 20 different locations in Lower Saxony - there is a large warehouse in Bad Bederkesa (district of Cuxhaven), for example. The filled sandbags are usually stored on pallets ready to be called up.
According to the NLWKN, the reserve is released for "exceptional events". Emergency services - such as the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) - then collect the sandbags from the storage sites. Flood situations that are localized, for example, must be managed by associations and municipalities with their own reserves.
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- Despite the assistance from other federal states, Lower Saxony is facing challenges in managing the flood situation due to the depletion of its own sandbag reserve, which was built ahead of the Christmas flood.
- The German Press Agency reported that the remaining sandbags in Lower Saxony's flood control reserves, amounting to around 1.9 million, have been utilized, leaving only a minimal stock.
- In an effort to mitigate the bad weather-induced flooding, Lower Saxony has received aid from federal states such as North Rhine-Westphalia, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein, and Hesse, with significant contributions including 500,000 sandbags from North Rhine-Westphalia.
- The sandbags are essential in reinforcing dykes during flood events in Lower Saxony, where the reserve is strategically stored at approximately 20 locations, including a large warehouse in Bad Bederkesa, for quick mobilization.
- In light of the ongoing flood situation, the state has activated its sandbag reserve for "exceptional events," and emergency services like the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) collect these supplies from various storage sites to support local efforts.
- The situation in flood-prone areas, such as Hanover, continues to evolve, and the delivery of additional sandbags from other federated states is crucial in preventing further losses and minimizing damage caused by adverse weather conditions.
Source: www.stern.de
