The impending Oder flood threatens Germany
In the southwestern part of Poland, the water is gradually retreating, but the water levels are still climbing at the lower parts of the Oder River. This poses a challenge for authorities in eastern Brandenburg, who are getting ready for a difficult weekend. As a precautionary measure, two polling stations in Frankfurt an der Oder had to be moved just before the state election.
The flooding from the Oder River, following the heavy rainfall in its origin areas, is still moving downstream and is approaching the German border. Due to the increasing water levels, the Polish voivodeship of Lubusz has already issued a flood warning for the areas alongside the Oder River. It's expected that the flood peak will hit the city of Nowa Sol, about 80 kilometers east of the border, on Sunday, before the floodwaters continue to surge towards Germany.
The Oder River marks the border with Germany at Ratzdorf, ten kilometers south of Eisenhüttenstadt. The Oder flows past Frankfurt (Oder) and eventually reaches the Baltic Sea, about 150 kilometers further north, via the Szczecin Lagoon. Extensive flooding is expected in the relatively wide river valley of the lower Oder, particularly in the areas close to the banks.
Crisis teams are preparing for rising water levels in Frankfurt and all the surrounding communities. Reinforced flood defenses have been in place in West Pomerania on the Polish side for several days. According to RBB, the concern about the Oder flood is significant. The lowest alert level 1 is currently applied to the river sections from Ratzdorf via Eisenhüttenstadt and Frankfurt (Oder) to the Warthe's mouth at Seelow. However, the situation is said to be sensitive, and it could worsen quickly. The water level in Eisenhüttenstadt was recently just below the five-meter mark.
The flood reaches Brandenburg during election preparations. However, only minor disruptions to voting on Sunday are anticipated. For example, two polling stations were moved from river-side areas to higher locations in Frankfurt an der Oder as a precaution.
Brandenburg's Minister-President Dietmar Woidke urged residents in the flood-affected regions to prepare for the worst. "In some parts of the Oder, the highest warning level 4 could be reached in the coming days. Thus, we remain vigilant," he said.
The flooding in Poland is not yet over: Firefighters, soldiers, and residents in the Lower Silesian town of Brzeg Dolny, 35 kilometers northwest of Wrocław (Breslau), worked to maintain the dikes. Several leaks occurred there, it was reported.
The water level there was 9.33 meters according to the Polish Meteorological Institute in the night. The water levels could still rise to 9.45 meters, the experts warned. Normal is a level of around 4.60 meters. For comparison, with the predicted maximum for Brzeg Dolny, the river will still be below the levels from the 1997 Oder flood.
In Wrocław, the crisis team met again with Prime Minister Donald Tusk. The water level in the city with 630,000 inhabitants had already dropped by ten centimeters compared to the previous day, reported a spokesperson for the Meteorological Institute. Dry and sunny weather is forecast for large parts of Poland in the coming days.
The floodwaters from the Oder River, propelled by the heavy rainfall upstream, are continuing to move towards the German border. Due to this, additional flooding is expected in the wide river valley of the lower Oder, particularly in areas close to the banks in Brandenburg.
