For the first time, Bundeswehr soldiers are deployed in the fight against the current flood. In Saxony-Anhalt they help fill and distribute sandbags. The continuous rain is now followed by freezing cold for large parts of Germany.
The Bundeswehr has launched an operation in the flood area in southwest Saxony-Anhalt. Around 200 temporary and professional soldiers have been helping to fill and distribute sandbags at several locations in the Mansfeld-Südharz district since midday, a spokeswoman for the Bundeswehr said. The initial aim is to stabilize a section of the dike in Sangerhausen.
Because the Helme River overflowed its banks at the end of the year, the district declared a disaster on December 30th. According to the information, the soldiers deployed come from Thuringia and Schleswig-Holstein.
Bundeswehr deployment Preparations are being made in Lower Saxony
Bundeswehr equipment and materials are used in Lower Saxony. A deployment of soldiers there is currently being prepared. These are to be stationed in the Oldenburg, Verden and Celle districts. However, concrete use is not yet foreseeable.
Due to the tense flood situation, Bundeswehr helicopters are still on standby to provide assistance from the air. According to the state command, this involves a total of ten machines from the army, navy and air force, which are spread across several locations. However, no helicopter has been used yet. If an operation is necessary, the helicopters could, for example, support evacuations and the transport of heavy sandbags.
Lower Saxony wants to provide emergency aid
The state of Lower Saxony announced that it wanted to provide quick and unbureaucratic support to residents who were particularly hard hit by the floods. “This applies especially to people who were unable to insure their belongings or whose income is not sufficient to replace the most necessary things in an emergency,” says a statement from the Ministry of the Environment. In total, up to ten million euros can be made available at short notice for acute emergencies.
“We stand by those affected by the flood. The state government will help in acute emergencies and will not abandon anyone who has found themselves in real distress as a result of the flood,” said Prime Minister Stephan Weil.
Steinmeier thanks helpers
Meanwhile, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier thanked the tens of thousands of helpers in the flood areas and expressed his appreciation. “Everyone who helps with this flood deserves the thanks of our entire nation,” explained Steinmeier. “This shows that when it comes down to it, our country stands together.”
In the written declaration Steinmeier announced that he had invited helpers from the voluntary fire brigade and the technical relief organization who were involved in the fight against the floods to his New Year’s reception at Bellevue Palace next week. “We have to support everyone who protects and rescues and visibly recognize them all. They are role models.”
The flood situation remains tense
The flooding is still making things difficult for emergency services in many places. In addition to the south of Saxony-Anhalt and parts of Lower Saxony, Bavaria is also affected. The situation in the north and east remains critical. Rising water levels were also reported in Hesse.
In Lower Saxony, the long period of continuous rain should end in the morning. However, there is still a risk of flooding in many streams and rivers, it said. In Bavaria, too, the continuous rain warnings were lifted in the evening, as the flood intelligence service (HND) announced. This means that the flood situation in northern Bavaria has reached its peak – but it remains tense in the areas north of the Danube. The German Weather Service canceled all existing severe weather warnings for heavy, continuous rain early in the morning.
At the reporting point in the Upper Palatinate town of Cham, the water level of the Regen River rose again on Thursday evening. This means that there is once again a risk that properties or cellars could be flooded or that transport connections would have to be closed, as data from the Regensburg Water Management Office shows. At the reporting point in the northern Hesse community of Guxhagen, the water level of the Fulda also rose sharply during the night.
The water levels on rivers in Lower Saxony could fall in the coming days. A tendency towards falling water levels is expected, said Anne Rickmeyer, director of the state agency for water management, coastal and nature conservation. However, it could still take several days or even a week until the water levels are below the more critical ones.
After continuous rain comes the cold
After the continuous rain, a change in the weather is now bringing freezing cold to large parts of Germany. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there will still be rain showers in the center and southwest of the country on Saturday, while snow will fall in some areas in the rest of the country. At night it can get as cold as minus seven degrees. The DWD also expects light snowfall with lots of clouds in the south on Sunday.
In Saxony-Anhalt, the announced permanent frost on the Helme River could be helpful in defending against flooding: “That will play into our hands,” said a spokeswoman for the disaster team of the Mansfeld-Südharz district – the dikes would solidify in the frost.
Firefighters Association calls for “special program”
In view of the flood situation, the fire brigade association is pushing for a special ten billion program for security authorities. “Climate change will mean that Germany will experience more frequent and intense heavy rain and floods in the future. Germany’s security authorities must become crisis-proof,” said the President of the German Fire Brigade Association (DFV), Karl-Heinz Banse, to the Funke media group.
In his opinion, a special program is needed for this, similar to the one imposed by the federal government on the Bundeswehr after Russia’s attack on Ukraine. Banse emphasized: “An additional ten billion euros from the federal budget is needed to protect the population. This will allow us to purchase important equipment for use: sandbag filling machines, pump systems, or off-road vehicles,” said Banse.