Flood - Scholz with rubber boots in the water: grateful for solidarity
Olaf Scholz wears rubber boots. When the Chancellor arrives for his second flood visit, his footwear could be a sign that the situation has become even worse in recent days - in Verden on the Aller near Bremen, he was still without boots on New Year's Eve. Scholz has little interest in the boot issue and does not want to comment on it when he takes a serious look at the situation on the Helme in the village of Oberröblingen in Saxony-Anhalt on Thursday.
When the Chancellor lands in Sangerhausen by helicopter from Berlin, it is cloudy and rainy - as has often been the case in recent days. The small river Helme, normally only about two meters wide, has burst its banks many times over. Scholz, Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) and Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) are shown a dyke that is threatening to break - and above all, they listen and ask questions. For example, they want to know whether there are enough sandbags in stock.
Afterwards, they are shown how the sandbags are filled for the Mansfeld-Südharz district and afterwards they are impressed by the solidarity and commitment of the people. "This spirit of solidarity will also apply afterwards, and we won't leave anyone on their own," says Scholz, who is now wearing lace-up shoes again. Haseloff calls for long-term consequences to be considered after the flood situation has been dealt with, such as better reinforcement of the dykes.
Partly unfriendly welcome
The 1,600 or so residents have been in a state of alarm since Christmas. "What we need is better coordination. No one here knows what the others are doing," says one resident. He has no hope that things will improve with Scholz's visit - before the chancellor's arrival, he talks of a "show-off".
Scholz felt the resentment immediately after his arrival. Shouts of "criminal" and "go straight back" can be heard. People complain that the ditches along the Helme have not been widened to improve drainage. There is also criticism that the nearby Kelbra reservoir was opened too late, with the result that far too much water is now flowing through the otherwise tranquil Helme.
But there are also words of thanks, especially from the helpers coordinated by the district. And the protest is also met with disapproval: "I don't think it's right that people are shouting all over it, you have to argue sensibly," says Enrico Angelstein from Oberröblingen.
Floors as wet as a sponge
Scholz's impressions on site in the south of Saxony-Anhalt are tremendous: flooded meadows and a much wider Helme, over which the drainage from the southern Harz runs. The ground is as wet as a sponge. The campsite at the Kelbra reservoir is under water. People in the region have repeatedly experienced flooding in recent years - but it hasn't been as bad and long-lasting as this time for a long time, says district administrator André Schröder. The Bundeswehr will be deployed from Monday. Some soldiers were already on site on Thursday.
In the small villages in the Mansfeld-Südharz region, many residents have protected garages and houses with sandbags. Many sandbags are lying on pallets in case the situation worsens. According to District Administrator Schröder, around one million sandbags have been filled for the district of Mansfeld-Südharz.
Situation has been tense for days
A state of emergency was declared in the district shortly before the turn of the year. Several places along the Helme are threatened by the masses of water. It flows from Thuringia into the Kelbra reservoir, then on through Mansfeld-Südharz and then back to Thuringia at Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth.
The weather forecasts did not look like easing recently. After a breather on Thursday, more rain is expected on Friday night before it gets much colder.
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- The Chancellor's visit to Sangerhausen in Saxony-Anhalt is in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, where the residents have been in a state of alarm since Christmas due to the flood.
- Reiner Haseloff, the Minister President of Saxony-Anhalt, calls for long-term consequences to be considered after the flood situation has been dealt with, such as better reinforcement of the dykes.
- Olaf Scholz and Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) listen and ask questions during their visit, showing interest in the availability of sandbags for the Mansfeld-Südharz district.
- The situation in Oberröblingen, Saxony-Anhalt, is so severe that the small river Helme has burst its banks many times over, requiring the attention of the Federal Government and local authorities.
- In the midst of the flood, Chancellor Scholz switches from rubber boots to lace-up shoes, but his focus remains on the urgent situation at hand.
- The residents of Oberröblingen have shown remarkable solidarity and commitment in the face of the flood, an aspect that impresses Scholz and his colleagues during their visit.
- The Federal Government's visit to Bremen earlier in the year, also in response to a flood situation, demonstrated the government's commitment to providing support and aid in times of crisis.
- The CDU in Germany, the political party affiliated with Minister President Haseloff, might use the flood situation as an opportunity to highlight their commitment to infrastructure improvement and disaster prevention measures.
Source: www.stern.de
