The peak of the Oder flood is moving rapidly towards Brandenburg. As a precautionary measure, the Oder-Spree district has declared the highest alert level for a certain area of the river.
- Oder-Spree district declares highest alert level
- This means that emergency services are on high alert
- The Oder area near Eisenhüttenstadt and Ratzdorf is affected
- Frankfurt (Oder) takes action against flood tourism
In view of the continuing rise in the Oder floodwaters in Brandenburg, the Oder-Spree district declared the highest level of alert on Tuesday morning. It affects a certain section of the dyke in eastern areas on the Polish border, including the town of Eisenhüttenstadt on the banks of the Oder.
District Administrator Frank Steffen (SPD) said: “It is important for us to always be ahead of the situation. That is why we are now declaring alarm level 4 in view of the forecasts.” The reason for this is the rising water level, which is expected to reach 5.90 meters in Ratzdorf this afternoon between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., officially triggering the highest alarm level. According to the State Office for the Environment, the normal water level at the gauge is around 2.60 meters.
Alert level 4 does not automatically mean a disaster, but the emergency services are on high alert. Large amounts of driftwood are already floating down the Oder. Dyke runners are in action to check the protective dams. Safety work continued to shield areas near the banks from masses of water.
According to the official water level portal of the State Office for the Environment (LfU), the second highest alarm level 3 currently applies to the section between Ratzdorf and Brieskow-Finkenheerd. This means that individual properties, streets or cellars can be flooded. Dyke runners are then in constant use to check the kilometers of protective structures and report damage.
At the highest level, level 4, larger areas could be flooded – even in built-up areas. In some cases, there could be a “danger to life”. Evacuations could be necessary.
Photo gallery
Flooding comes close to residential areas along the Oder
The authorities expect the water level to reach its highest on Wednesday, a spokeswoman for the Oder-Spree district administration said. Forecasts predict over 6 meters. The water masses are expected to remain for a few days: the authorities do not expect the water to fall below alarm level 4 until Friday. Ratzdorf is located at the confluence of the Oder and Neisse rivers, about 40 kilometers south of Frankfurt (Oder). The section of the Frankfurt (Oder) gauge is expected to reach alarm level 3 at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
Meadows outside the city of Frankfurt (Oder) have already been flooded by the Oder floods.
Protective wall, dike runners and sandbags
A 152-meter-long protective wall was erected in Ratzdorf on Monday. The Oder-Spree and Märkisch-Oderland districts have already set up disaster control teams. Dyke runners are already in action in several places.
The Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) has also been taking precautions for days. In Eisenhüttenstadt, 60 THW workers from the Frankfurt (Oder) and Berlin regional areas have been filling thousands of sandbags since Monday. The THW had prepared a sandbag filling station for the Oder-Spree area over the weekend using heavy equipment such as wheel loaders.
In 1997, the small town of Ratzdorf was threatened with flooding on the Oder. The village was not protected by a dyke at the time. The water level house on a plinth on the banks of the Oder in Ratzdorf, which suddenly appeared in the middle of the floods, has since become known throughout Germany. In July 1997, a water level of almost 6.90 meters was measured. Since then, several million euros have been invested in flood protection on the Oder.
+++ Oder-Spree declares highest alert level +++ District has beavers killed to protect dikes
+++ Highest alert level declared in Oder-Spree +++ Frankfurt (Oder) bans flood tourism +++ Märkisch-Oderland activates dyke runners and disaster control staff +++ More news in the live tickermore
Flood tourism in Frankfurt (Oder) is punished
The city of Frankfurt has meanwhile banned people from entering the facilities to protect the dykes. In recent days, hundreds of onlookers have come to the banks of the Oder to watch the slowly rising water level, the city administration explained. Now the dykes may only be entered or driven on by emergency services in the course of flood control. According to a city spokesperson, anyone who violates the ban can expect a fine of at least 50 euros.
The situation center of the State Office for the Environment says it is concerned about “souvenir hunters.” Parts of the sheet pile wall in Frankfurt have been stolen, it said. The police have therefore been asked to increase controls.
Broadcast: radioeins from rbb, 24.09.2024, 14:00
