Flood - Water level in Saxony-Anhalt exceeds highest alert level before Scholz visit
The flood situation in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz remains tense even before the visit of Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD). The water level on the Helme in Bennungen was reported at 2.42 meters on Thursday morning, exceeding the highest alert level 4. A state of emergency had already been declared in the district in Saxony-Anhalt shortly before the turn of the year. The river Helme had burst its banks in places. 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.
According to a spokeswoman, the German Armed Forces are currently 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.
Scholz wants to meet helpers in flood area
Scholz, Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) and Minister President Reiner Haseloff (CDU) want to come to Oberröblingen at midday to get an idea of the situation. A visit to a sandbag filling plant in Berga is also planned. The Chancellor and his companions want to talk to the head of operations, the emergency services, the mayors of affected municipalities and volunteers. They also want to discuss the situation in Berga. Scholz had already visited flooded areas in Lower Saxony on New Year's Eve.
Meanwhile, the German Weather Service (DWD) has good news for Saxony-Anhalt and also for the flood areas in Lower Saxony. "It's getting drier, the heavy rainfall will stop," announced Cathleen Hickmann from the DWD for Saxony-Anhalt on Thursday. During the course of the day and on Friday, light drizzle is still expected in some areas, but it will be nowhere near the amounts of the past few days. Overall, it will be drier and much colder.
The rain is also expected to ease on Thursday and in the coming days in Lower Saxony, which has been hit hard by flooding. A spokesman for the German Weather Service said in the 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.
On Thursday morning, however, several water levels on rivers in Lower Saxony were still above the highest reporting level. In Nienburg and Drakenburg, it was 15 centimetres according to the situation report of the State Agency for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation (NLWKN). The authority reported higher water levels for numerous gauges on the Weser, but in some places the water levels also fell slightly.
The situation on the Aller also remains tense. In Celle and Eitze, the water level on Thursday morning was around 60 centimetres above the highest reporting level, 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.
According to the NLWKN, there is a risk of flooding of larger areas as well as individual properties, streets and cellars if the third reporting level is reached.
Meanwhile, 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 on Thursday. Lower Saxony's Minister of the Interior, Daniela Behrens, wants to see the construction for herself on site.
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Source: www.stern.de
