In some flood areas the situation is easing – in other places critical moments still lie ahead. Some dams have reached capacity. The highest water levels are expected on the Elbe during the day.
In some parts of Germany affected by the floods, the situation has eased somewhat for the time being. The German Weather Service (DWD) is not expecting any major storms or continuous rain today. Nevertheless, numerous cities and regions continue to prepare for water levels that may rise.
The authorities have not yet given the all-clear, especially in the areas around the dams in the center of the country. Some dams no longer have the capacity to absorb the water masses. According to the Harz Waterworks, the Oker Dam and the Innerste Dam in the Harz are more than 100 percent full. More water needs to be released into the surrounding rivers. The amount of water in the other dams is also approaching 100 percent.
Cities like Goslar and Braunschweig had therefore taken precautionary safety measures against the threat of flooding. But so far there has been no flooding.
There are also signs of relaxation on the Weser. In Hamelin the water level has remained the same. The water in Rinteln and Bodenwerder is currently no longer rising. In Rinteln, residents of a street that has since been evacuated can return to their homes. In Bremen-Borgfeld, on the other hand, the fire brigade is getting older people out of a flooded area. The water from the Wümme flooded some residential areas.
Weil praises helpers
Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil praised the commitment of the helpers and the protection concepts of the individual regions. “Everywhere in Lower Saxony, the right conclusions have clearly been drawn from the previous flood situations. The right tools are on site and the right operational concepts are being pursued,” said the SPD politician. But Weil also warned that Lower Saxony is “not out of the woods yet”: “This flood is not over yet, we will need a lot of patience.”
Critical situation on the Elbe
The water levels on the Elbe in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt continue to rise – not only due to the high amounts of rain in the past few days, but also the melting snow in the Giant Mountains is causing more water in the river. The highest water level is expected in Dresden during the day. The authorities have already declared alert level 3.
According to the flood control center, flood warning levels apply to all rivers in Saxony with the exception of the Upper White Elster. For the tributaries of the Upper Elbe, it is expected that the warning can be lifted during the day.
In order to mitigate the flooding in the Magdeburg area, the Pretzien weir is to be built in the morning. It ensures that around a third of the Elbe’s water is diverted into a 21-kilometer-long canal around Magdeburg and Schönebeck before flowing back into the river at Lostau.
Relaxation in Mansfeld-South Harz
After the first evacuations due to flooding in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, there are no signs of the situation worsening further. As the district announced on Wednesday morning, no further flooding is expected along the Helme. This would mean “no further evacuations are necessary”.
Windehausen remains closed to residents
The situation in Thuringia has stabilized somewhat. In flooded Windehausen in northern Thuringia, a crisis team is advising on what to do next in the town. Above all, it is a question of whether and when people can go back into their homes, said a spokesman. The power supply there is still interrupted.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, a break in the rain probably only brings a short breather. The water levels remain high and many dikes in the state still need to be reinforced or repaired by helpers. Another problem: The rising groundwater is seeping through the completely waterlogged soil to the surface because it cannot flow into the rivers as usual. And meteorologists are expecting new rain like this from Friday until the first week of January WDR reported.
The DWD is also warning of new continuous rain in the western mountains from Friday with up to 30 liters per square meter; in traffic jams it could even be up to 40 liters per square meter. Regions near the North Sea and in the western low mountain ranges should expect similar amounts of rain from Saturday.
Greens demand more comprehensive Flood protection
Given the current situation in Germany, the Greens are insisting on additional investments in flood protection. “Where cities have direct access to the water, we need additional investments in technical flood protection such as dikes and retention basins,” said the environmental policy spokesman for the Green parliamentary group, Jan-Niclas Gesenhues, to the “Rheinische Post”.
Precautions against floods and adaptations to climate change must be included in “any planning,” demanded Gesenhues. In Germany too, “floods and floods are becoming more frequent and severe”, but the Federal Republic is not yet sufficiently prepared for this. The first German climate adaptation law, which was passed by the Bundestag a few weeks ago, is a good step. “It obliges the federal government, municipalities and states to do more to prevent flooding,” said Gesenhues.