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Place in Saxony-Anhalt must be evacuated
Due to the threat of flooding at the entire Kelbra reservoir and the Helme, the Mansfeld-Südharz district (Saxony-Anhalt) has asked residents of Thuringia to evacuate. “All residents are requested to leave their homes no later than 6 p.m.,” a district spokeswoman said on Tuesday afternoon. There are about 180 people.
The Christmas holidays are over in large parts of Germany. The storm “Zoltan” brought endless rain to the western low mountain ranges, the Upper Harz, Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony, Hesse and Thuringia. Water levels have steadily risen since the holidays and there is still no end in sight to the heavy rainfall.
The situation is particularly precarious in Germany’s Harz Mountains: the Okertalsperre, a dam in the region, has reached its maximum capacity. The Braunschweig city council announced this, and an ARD reporter described the closure on Tuesday afternoon as “full to the brim”.
Drastic measures must therefore be taken: more water will now flow into the Oker via the dam’s overflow. The result: Braunschweig is threatened with a tidal wave in the late evening hours!
Emergency services on high alert
Instead of 16 cubic meters per second, 30 cubic meters per second now flows into the river. According to information from “Bild”, the taxes could be increased to 60 cubic meters.
The emergency services at the locks in the affected areas are already alert. However, it is still believed that flooding caused by the Ocher and its tributaries is confined to designated flood areas.
“I have only seen water shoot out of the Okerdam once and that was probably about 30 years ago,” said an onlooker to “Bild”. The German Weather Service (DWD) predicted further persistent rain in several regions, especially from the western low mountain ranges to the Harz, it said in a DWD severe weather warning. It will also be stormy in some places.
Germany continues to sink in floods
However, the population of Braunschweig has to deal with flooding. The region was already inundated by floods in June as a result of the “Lambert” depression. Photos and videos from this time showed how the center of Braunschweig was literally under water. There were also serious floods in other parts of Germany in the summer.
In 2021, Germany experienced the flood of the century in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. At least 135 people died. However, the coming days in Braunschweig and the surrounding area should not be so violent. (chs)
Source: Blick
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
