Even at the end of the year there is no all-clear in the flood areas. Several municipalities called for firecrackers to be waived. The helpers also fear that more “disaster tourists” could arrive around the turn of the year.
Thousands of helpers will continue to work in flood areas in parts of Germany on New Year’s Eve. In Lower Saxony, the second highest reporting level applies to many gauges. The emergency services are particularly concerned about the dikes, which are often weakened and could break.
Parts of Lower Saxony, the south of Saxony-Anhalt on the border with Thuringia and areas in North Rhine-Westphalia are particularly affected by flooding. Recently there was a bit of an all-clear in some places. The Lower Saxony State Office for Water Management, Coastal Protection and Nature Conservation, for example, reported that several water levels had reached their peak and would fall again.
According to the information, 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. Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Daniela Behrens told “Spiegel” that further rainfall was announced and there could also be a storm. “Nevertheless, we currently do not expect that the forecast rain will dramatically worsen the situation.”
Scholz is apparently planning to visit flood areas
The German Weather Service (DWD) has predicted showery rain in areas of the northwest and west for the morning of New Year’s Eve. There are expected to be dry periods on New Year’s Day, until persistent and heavy rain is forecast again on Tuesday. There is therefore great concern that the situation on the rivers could worsen again.
According to a report in “Bild”, Chancellor Olaf Scholz is planning a visit to the flood areas to thank helpers and show solidarity. According to information from the paper, Scholz wants to show those affected that the government is not leaving them alone in this difficult situation. The exact time and place of the visit are still secret. There is no official confirmation.
Municipalities are calling for people to refrain from using firecrackers
In order to save the emergency services further work, several cities in Lower Saxony recommended avoiding fireworks and firecrackers on New Year’s Eve, for example the city of Celle. The emergency services are already very busy with the flood.
Lower Saxony’s Environment Minister Christian Meyer also recommended that New Year’s Eve firecrackers be avoided in areas affected by flooding. In some cases, firecracker bans were also issued, such as in the municipality of Lilienthal in the Osterholz district near Bremen.
The district also feared that there would be many onlookers in the flood area on New Year’s Eve. Interior Minister Behrens described onlookers and “disaster tourists” as annoying. “Many people travel specifically to see the masses of water. They ignore the barriers.” There have already been several cases in which the fire department had to rescue onlookers.
Disaster event in the Mansfeld-Südharz district
The emergency services are also busy in other parts of the country. The flood situation remains critical in several towns on the Helme River on the state border between Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. The Mansfeld-Südharz district declared a disaster. According to the mayor of the municipality of Südharz, Peter Kohl, collection points were set up in two gymnasiums as a precautionary measure. Despite the declaration of a disaster, there is currently no change in practical work.
On the Elbe near Tangermünde in the north of Saxony-Anhalt, the authorities expected that the second of four alert levels would be exceeded. In Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, the authorities had cautiously spoken of an easing of the situation.
Klingbeil calls for expansion of the disaster protection
In view of the flooding, SPD chairman Lars Klingbeil spoke out in favor of a “massive” expansion of disaster protection. The flood must have consequences for political decisions, he demanded in the “Tagesspiegel”. Now “disaster protection and flood prevention must be massively expanded”.
The technical relief agency, civil defense, fire departments and other voluntary aid organizations need “the best and most modern equipment to protect the country,” Klingbeil continued. He also warned of the consequences of man-made climate change, “which is causing such weather extremes more and more frequently.”
Klingbeil recently visited the flood area with the Prime Minister of Lower Saxony, Stephan Weil. Klingbeil’s constituency is also affected. “The extent of the damage is shocking,” said the SPD chairman.