Continuous rain has filled rivers and streams in many areas of Germany. In Lower Saxony, dike breaches have been averted for the time being. The main concern at the moment is the full dams in the middle of the country.
Persistent rain and soggy ground continue to pose a risk of flooding in many areas of Germany. Thousands of helpers are currently in constant use.
Harz dams heavily filled
The situation remains tense, especially in some regions in central Germany. According to the Harz waterworks, the Oker dam and the Innerste dam in the Harz are over 100 percent full. The amount of water in the other dams is also approaching 100 percent.
The Braunschweig city administration announced that more water would now be released into the Oker via the overflow of the dam. Instead of 16 cubic meters per second, 30 cubic meters per second now flow into the river. The flood situation in Braunschweig will further exacerbate this measure. The wave is expected to arrive in the city late in the evening.
It is possible that the overflow at the dam will be opened further during the day and the amount of water will therefore increase further. However, it is still assumed that the floods caused by the Oker and its tributaries are limited to the designated flood areas.
Softened dikes stabilized for the time being
In empty in Lower Saxony During the night, hundreds of firefighters tried to stabilize dikes with sandbags and prevent dikes from breaking. In the East Frisian communities of Langholt and Uplengen, softened and partially broken dykes have been secured for the time being. The fire brigade said the highest water level has now been reached in both places and the water is no longer rising.
Fire brigade forces are trying to secure the town of Langholt in Lower Saxony with sandbags.
According to the fire department, a dike in the Oldenburg district was also in danger of becoming unstable. The residents of two streets had to be evacuated, the fire department announced on Tuesday night. The dike was badly damaged by the flood and emergency services are doing everything they can to secure it with sandbags.
In Rinteln in the Schaumburg district, more than 100 people were evacuated in the morning. The cellars of the houses on East Contrescarpe Street, which are directly behind the city walls, are full.
Easy relaxation in Windehausen
In Thuringia The town of Windehausen in the Nordhausen district is particularly affected. The flood situation there became so severe that on Christmas Day it was necessary to completely evacuate the district of Heringen, which has almost 500 inhabitants. Heringen’s mayor Matthias Marquardt said there were still an estimated 100 people in the town.
According to the emergency services, the situation is now stable. Windehausen is still surrounded by floodwaters, but there has already been a slight decrease in water in some places, said a fire department spokesman. However, the all-clear cannot yet be given.
None of the houses are in danger of collapsing, but there is still no electricity and the toilets are not working because of the flooded sewage system, said Marquardt. It is still unclear when residents will be able to return to Windehausen.
The flood situation eased throughout Thuringia in the morning. The all-clear was also given in the particularly affected areas in southern Thuringia, but the situation remains tense. There are currently four water levels in southern and northern Thuringia above reporting level two. This affects the Helme near Sundhausen, the Werra near Gerstungen as well as the Nahe near Hinternah and the lock near Rappelsdorf.
Second highest alert level in parts of Saxony-Anhalt
Also in Saxony-Anhalt Yesterday, the State Office for Flood Protection declared the second highest alert level for several rivers, including the Mulde and its tributaries, the White Elster in Halle and the Saalekreis and the Ohre in the Börde district.
The Saxon state capital Dresden is preparing for a further rise in the water level of the Elbe. The first mobile flood protection gates were set up yesterday afternoon in the area of the terrace bank. And also in North Rhine-Westphalia The rains continue, and the Weser tributaries in the eastern part of the country are particularly badly affected. The water levels usually remain at a very high level. However, on the Ruhr and in the Lenne and Weser catchment area they are expected to decline more significantly on Wednesday.
In Bavaria However, the flood situation has largely calmed down. In large parts of the country, water levels are now stable or falling. Only in Lower Franconia and Upper Palatinate did the authorities report that water levels were still high or slightly rising due to the rain.
Changeable weather in the coming days
The German Weather Service (DWD) is predicting changeable weather for the coming days. The DWD announced that the persistent rain situation is ending, which has repeatedly brought heavy rainfall, especially to the north, northwest and central parts of the country. However, the flood situation will only ease with a very long delay. The amount of rain is expected to increase again at the end of the week, and on Wednesday rain will spread from the west to the northwest. It will be stormy at sea and in the adjacent inland areas.
The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) warned of storm surges in the Weser area and on the North Sea coast of Lower Saxony. Specifically, Bremen, Bremerhaven, Elsfleth, Brake and Rechtenfleth on the Weser and Wilhelmshaven on the North Sea were mentioned.
Impact on rail traffic
The railway is also struggling with the adverse weather conditions. Rail traffic on the route between Hanover and Magdeburg is expected to be affected until Wednesday. IC trains would be rerouted in both directions and would be delayed by around 30 minutes, Deutsche Bahn announced on its website. The background is therefore track erosion on the route from Magdeburg to Helmstedt.