2023-12-31 08:09:47
The deployment of thousands of helpers in flood areas in parts of Germany continues on New Year’s Eve. The emergency services are particularly concerned regarding the dikes, which are often weakened and might break. The German Weather Service (DWD) predicted showery rain in areas of the northwest and west on the morning of New Year’s Eve.
Parts of Lower Saxony, the south of Saxony-Anhalt on the border with Thuringia and areas in North Rhine-Westphalia are particularly affected by flooding. Recently there was a bit of an all-clear in some places. The Lower Saxony State Office for Water Management, Coastal Protection and Nature Conservation, for example, reported that several water levels had reached their peak and would fall once more. According to the information, the water levels in the middle and lower reaches of the Aller, Leine and Oker would remain at the current level for the time being.
Lower Saxony’s Interior Minister Daniela Behrens (SPD) told “Spiegel”: “More rainfall has been announced and there might also be a storm. Nevertheless, we currently do not expect that the announced rain will dramatically worsen the situation.” The DWD has forecast persistent and heavy rain in parts of Germany for Tuesday. There is great concern that the situation on the rivers might worsen once more.
For many emergency services there will probably be at least no big New Year’s Eve celebrations. In order to save them extra work, several cities in Lower Saxony recommended avoiding fireworks and firecrackers on New Year’s Eve, for example the city of Celle. The emergency services are already very busy with the flood. Environment Minister Christian Meyer (Greens) also recommended that New Year’s Eve firecrackers be avoided in areas affected by flooding.
In some cases, firecracker bans were also issued, such as in the municipality of Lilienthal in the Osterholz district near Bremen. The district also feared that there would be many onlookers in the flood area on New Year’s Eve. Behrens described onlookers and disaster tourists as annoying. “Many people travel specifically to see the masses of water. They ignore the barriers.” There have already been several cases in which the fire brigade had to rescue onlookers, said the Interior Minister.
The emergency services also have a lot to do in other parts of the country. The flood situation remains critical in several towns on the Helme River on the state border between Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. The Mansfeld-Südharz district declared a disaster on Saturday. According to the mayor of the municipality of Südharz, Peter Kohl, collection points were set up in two gyms as a precautionary measure on Saturday evening. Despite the declaration of a disaster, there is currently no change in practical work.
On the Elbe near Tangermünde in the north of Saxony-Anhalt, the authorities expected that the second of four alert levels would be exceeded on Saturday. In Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia, the authorities had cautiously spoken of an easing of the situation.
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