Scholz travels to a flood area for the second time within a few days – this time to the Vorharz in the south of Saxony-Anhalt. But people in other regions also continue to struggle with masses of water.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) received an unfriendly welcome from some people during his visit to the flood area in southern Saxony-Anhalt. “Criminals”, “Your politics are based on lies” and “Go back straight away” were heard from a group of around ten people.
Together with Federal Environment Minister Steffi Lemke (Greens) and Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU), he got an idea of the situation in Oberröblingen, a district of Sangerhausen. Scholz had previously gotten an overview from the helicopter.
The situation in Mansfeld-Südharz remains tense
The flood situation in the Mansfeld-Südharz district remains tense even before the visit. The water level on the Helme in Bennungen was reported as 2.42 meters in the morning, exceeding the highest alert level 4.
Shortly before the turn of the year, a disaster was declared in the district in Saxony-Anhalt. The Helme River had overflowed its banks in places.
In the district, the towns of Berga, Kelbra and Bennungen, among others, are affected by the flood, as well as the Sangerhausen district of Oberröblingen.
Bundeswehr is preparing for deployment
The Bundeswehr wants to decide promptly on an application for administrative assistance from the district and, according to a spokeswoman, is currently preparing for a deployment in Mansfeld-Südharz. 150 soldiers were required to help fill and lay out sandbags and secure dikes for a week starting on Monday.
Disaster declared
Shortly before the turn of the year, a disaster was declared in the Mansfeld-Südharz district. The Helme had overflowed its banks in places. Several places on the river are currently threatened.
In other federal states, especially in Lower Saxony, the emergency services have been fighting against masses of water for days.
The situation remains critical in several regions of Lower Saxony. As has been the case for several days, six districts and the city of Oldenburg are affected, as a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior in Hanover told the German Press Agency. The affected districts are Celle, Oldenburg, Emsland, Osterholz, the Heidekreis and Verden.
The situation in Lower Saxony remains critical
A so-called extraordinary event has therefore still been detected in these municipalities. This means that districts or cities can, for example, more easily access auxiliary staff. A disaster has not yet been declared in any region. There are eight independent cities and 37 districts in Lower Saxony.
Several river levels remain above the highest reporting level. In Nienburg and Drakenburg an der Weser, the water level in the morning was 15 centimeters above the highest reporting level, according to a management report from the State Office for Water Management, Coasts and Nature Conservation (NLWKN). The authority reported increased water levels for numerous water levels on the Weser – in some places it fell minimally.
Water levels are partly above the highest reporting level
The situation also remains tense on the Aller. In Celle and Eitze the water level in the morning was around 60 centimeters above the highest reporting level, and in other places such as Rethem and Ahlden it was more than 20 centimeters each. The water level on the Leine was also above the highest reporting level in several areas – for example in Neustadt and Schwarmstedt.
“We are still in an extremely critical situation and we are fully concentrating on fighting the floods,” said Lower Saxony’s Prime Minister Stephan Weil (SPD) on NDR television on Wednesday evening.
The special thing about the current situation is that there is widespread flooding on many rivers and places at the same time, said the head of the Ludwig Franzius Institute for Hydraulic, Estuarine and Coastal Engineering at the Leibniz University of Hanover, Torsten Schlurmann, to the dpa.
Dikes at the limit of their performance
In addition, the situation has been going on for days. “We don’t see a rapidly draining flood wave on the rivers, but rather that the water is virtually standing still. Due to the long-term damming, there is now a risk that the dikes will reach their performance limits,” said Schlurmann.
The water also affects agriculture. According to the farmers’ association, almost every farmer in Lower Saxony is currently affected by flooding of their fields or damage caused by moisture.
Flood aid for Lower Saxony is also coming from abroad: A French civil defense team wants to build a mobile dike near Winsen an der Aller today. Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Daniela Behrens wants to get an idea of the structure on site.
Rain is easing in flood areas – relief in sight
The rain in Lower Saxony is expected to ease today and in the coming days – that could defuse the situation in Lower Saxony. A spokesman for the German Weather Service announced this morning that there could finally be talk of relaxation. Rain is expected again on Friday, but little compared to the last few days. Overall, it will be drier and significantly colder. An onset of winter is expected from the weekend with snow showers, permanent frost during the day and slippery conditions with temperatures down to minus seven degrees.
The flood situation could also be easily alleviated in Saxony-Anhalt. “It’s getting drier, the heavy rains are stopping,” said Cathleen Hickmann from the German Weather Service. Light drizzle is still expected in some areas over the course of the day and on Friday, but the amounts are no longer the same as those of the past few days. Overall, it will be drier and significantly colder.