Scholz receives partly unfriendly reception in flood area

Saxony-Anhalt - Scholz receives partly unfriendly reception in flood area

Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) received an unfriendly reception from some people during his visit to the flood area in southern Saxony-Anhalt. "Criminals", "Your policy is based on lies" and "Go right back" were the words of a group of around ten people.

Together with Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) and Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU), he went to Oberröblingen, a district of Sangerhausen, to get an idea of the situation. Scholz had previously gained an overview from a helicopter.

Situation in Mansfeld-Südharz remains tense

The flood situation in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz remains tense ahead of the visit. The water level on the Helme in Bennungen was reported at 2.42 meters in the morning, exceeding the highest alert level 4.

The towns of Berga, Kelbra and Bennungen, as well as the Sangerhausen district of Oberröblingen, are among those affected by the flooding in the district.

Bundeswehr prepares for deployment

According to a spokeswoman, the German Armed Forces are already preparing for a deployment in Mansfeld-Südharz. A total of 150 soldiers have been requested to help fill and lay out sandbags and secure dykes for a week from Monday.

Disaster declared

Shortly before the turn of the year, a disaster was declared in the Mansfeld-Südharz district. The Helme had burst its banks in places. Several places along the river are currently under threat.

In other federal states too, especially in Lower Saxony, the emergency services have been battling against masses of water for days.

The situation remains critical in several regions of Lower Saxony. As has been the case for several days, six districts and the city of Oldenburg are affected, as a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior in Hanover told the German Press Agency. The affected districts are Celle, Oldenburg, Emsland, Osterholz, Heidekreis and Verden.

Situation in Lower Saxony remains critical

A so-called exceptional event has therefore still been declared in these municipalities. This makes it easier for districts or cities to access emergency services, for example. A state of emergency has not yet been declared in any region. There are eight independent cities and 37 districts in Lower Saxony.

Several river levels are still above the highest reporting level. In Nienburg and Drakenburg on the Weser, the water level was 15 centimetres above the highest reporting level in the morning, according to a situation report from the State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation (NLWKN). The authority stated that water levels had risen for numerous gauges on the Weser - in some places they fell minimally.

Water levels partly above the highest reporting level

The situation on the Aller also remains tense. In Celle and Eitze, the water level was around 60 centimetres above the highest reporting level in the morning, while in other places such as Rethem and Ahlden it was more than 20 centimetres in each case. The water level on the Leine was also above the highest reporting level in several areas - for example in Neustadt and Schwarmstedt.

"We are still in an extremely critical situation and we are fully concentrating on combating the floods," said Lower Saxony's Minister President Stephan Weil (SPD) on NDR television on Wednesday evening.

The special thing about the current situation is that there are floods on many rivers and places at the same time, said Torsten Schlurmann, head of the Ludwig-Franzius-Institute for Hydraulic, Estuarine and Coastal Engineering at the Leibniz University of Hanover, to dpa.

Dykes at the limit of their capacity

The situation has also lasted for days. "We are not seeing a fast-flowing flood wave on the rivers, but that the water is virtually standing still. Due to the prolonged backwater, there is now a risk that the dykes will reach their limits," said Schlurmann.

The water is also affecting agriculture. According to the farmers' association, almost every farmer in Lower Saxony is currently affected by flooding in their fields or by water damage.

Flood aid for Lower Saxony is also coming from abroad: a team from the French civil defense wants to erect a mobile dyke near Winsen an der Aller today. Lower Saxony's Minister of the Interior, Daniela Behrens, wants to see the construction for herself.

Rain subsides in flood areas - relief in sight

The rain in Lower Saxony is expected to ease today and in the coming days - this could defuse the situation in Lower Saxony. A spokesman for the German Weather Service announced this morning that the situation could finally be said to be easing. Although rain is expected again on Friday, it will be less than in recent days. Overall, it will be drier and much colder. From the weekend, winter is expected to set in with snow showers, permafrost during the day and icy conditions with temperatures down to minus seven degrees.

The flood situation could also ease slightly in Saxony-Anhalt. "It will become drier, the heavy rainfall will stop," said Cathleen Hickmann from the German Weather Service. Light drizzle is still expected in some areas during the course of the day and on Friday, but it will be nowhere near the amounts of the past few days. Overall, it will be drier and much colder.