Second highest reporting level in many flood areas
The situation in the flood areas remains tense. The dykes are softened and more rain is expected. Added to this: Onlookers and fireworks, which is an additional burden for the emergency services. It is still unclear whether the Chancellor will also go to the flooded areas.
The deployment of thousands of helpers in the flood areas in parts of Germany continues on New Year's Eve. During the night, many water levels in Lower Saxony were at the second-highest reporting level. The emergency services are particularly concerned about the dykes, many of which are softened and could break. Further rain is also expected in the northwest and west this morning.
Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens from the SPD told "Der Spiegel": "Further rainfall has been announced and there could also be storms. Nevertheless, we do not currently expect the forecast rain to dramatically worsen the situation." Meteorologists are predicting persistent and heavy rain in parts of Germany on Tuesday. There is great concern that the situation on the rivers could worsen again.
Parts of Lower Saxony, southern Saxony-Anhalt on the border with Thuringia and areas in North Rhine-Westphalia are particularly affected by flooding. The all-clear has recently been given in some places. The Lower Saxony State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation, for example, announced that several water levels had peaked and would fall again. According to the information, however, the water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the Aller, Leine and Oker would remain at the current level for the time being.
Meanwhile, according to a report in Bild, Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz is planning a visit to the flood areas to thank helpers and show solidarity. According to the newspaper, the SPD politician wants to show those affected that the government will not leave them alone in this difficult situation. The exact time and place of the visit are still under wraps. There is no official confirmation yet.
Calls to refrain from New Year's Eve fireworks
For many of the emergency services, at least major New Year's Eve celebrations are likely to be canceled. To save them extra work, several cities in Lower Saxony have recommended that fireworks and firecrackers be avoided on New Year's Eve, for example the city of Celle. The emergency services were already working at full capacity with the floods. Environment Minister Christian Meyer from the Green Party also recommended not using fireworks on New Year's Eve in areas affected by flooding. In some cases, firecrackers were also banned, such as in the municipality of Lilienthal in the district of Osterholz near Bremen. The district also feared that many onlookers would be out and about in the flood area on New Year's Eve.
Behrens described onlookers and disaster tourists as annoying. "Many of them travel here just to see the masses of water. They ignore the barriers." There have already been several cases where the fire department has had to rescue onlookers, said the Minister of the Interior.
Disaster situation in the Mansfeld-Südharz district
The emergency services also have a lot to do in other parts of the state. The flood situation remains critical in several towns on the River Helme on the border between Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. The district of Mansfeld-Südharz declared a state of emergency on Saturday. According to the mayor of the municipality of Südharz, Peter Kohl, collection points were set up in two gymnasiums on Saturday evening as a precautionary measure. Despite the declaration of a state of disaster, nothing has changed in terms of practical work.
On the Elbe near Tangermünde in northern Saxony-Anhalt, the authorities expected the second of four alert levels to be exceeded on Saturday. In Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, the authorities had cautiously spoken of an easing of the situation.
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The flood areas in Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony have been heavily affected, necessitating the intervention of emergency services. Chancellor Olaf Scholz is reportedly planning a visit to express gratitude and solidarity towards the helpers.
In response to the ongoing flood situation, Lower Saxony's Environment Minister Christian Meyer and several cities in Lower Saxony have urged people to avoid fireworks on New Year's Eve to lessen the burden on the overworked emergency services.
The situation in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, particularly along the River Helme, remains critical. The district declared a state of emergency and set up collection points as a precautionary measure, but the declaration did not impact the practical work.
Source: www.ntv.de
