Saxony-Anhalt
Soldiers only work in flood operations during daylight hours
Bundeswehr soldiers secure a dike on the Helme with sandbags. photo
© Jan Woitas/dpa
The Bundeswehr has been deployed in the Mansfeld-Südharz district since Friday. Yesterday alone, 50,000 sandbags were installed to stabilize the dike.
Because of the conditions on site, the Bundeswehr has decided to stay in the flood area Saxony-Anhalt can only work in daylight. A Bundeswehr spokeswoman told the German Press Agency that the conditions were currently not suitable for work before sunrise or after sunset. Around 200 temporary and professional soldiers are currently deployed in flood operations in the Mansfeld-Südharz district.
According to the district, with the help of the Bundeswehr, a total of 50,000 sandbags were installed on Saturday alone to stabilize the dikes. Since Saturday afternoon, around 20 soldiers have also been helping civilian volunteers fill sandbags, said the Bundeswehr spokeswoman.
Shortly before the end of the year, the Helme River overflowed its banks in places in the region of southern Saxony-Anhalt. As the situation worsened, the district declared a disaster. The Bundeswehr has been deployed there since Friday.
According to the German Weather Service, temperatures in the flood area – as well as in the entire state – fell significantly at night. At up to minus three degrees it was wintry cold in the region in the morning. Although there were many clouds in the sky, very little precipitation was expected, said a weather expert. The permanent frost is expected to remain in the next few days.