New rain in the north: flooding in Germany continues

class=”sc-cffd1e67-0 fmXrkB”>

In the districts of Lüchow-Dannenberg and Verden, those responsible do not expect the water level to drop until New Year’s week. The situation on the Aller was still critical: the water continued to rise in Verden/Aller, the local fire brigade announced on Friday evening. The city of Celle and the neighboring municipality of Winsen/Aller also warned of disruptions to the energy supply and the mobile telephone network, as the water level in the Aller is expected to continue to rise.

In Lilienthal (Osterholz district), right on the state border with Bremen, the situation remains tense, the Stade fire and rescue center announced late on Friday evening through an official danger information. Areas that have already been evacuated are still not allowed to be entered. Several streets in the community were without power.

According to estimates by the National Office for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation, the water level downstream of the Weser will continue to rise in the coming days. Particularly in the lower reaches of the Mid-Weser, there cannot yet be talk of an easing of tensions. According to the German weather service, the rain should initially decrease slightly from Saturday to Sunday morning.

The Federal Agency for Technical Assistance (THW) prepared to operate in the flood areas until the first week of January. “It is very clear that this will last until the New Year,” THW chairman Sabine Lackner said in Berlin on Friday. “What worries us is the condition of the dikes.” They were greatly softened. About 1,000 emergency services are on the road in the affected areas every day.

The city of Celle called on people to take closures seriously and only travel to the city if absolutely necessary. “Increasing flood tourism and traffic are preventing rescuers from getting through in many places.” The Verden fire brigade also reported disturbing disaster tourists. The Osterholz district also fears that there will be many spectators in the flood area on New Year’s Eve.

Numerous neighborhoods once again appealed not to enter the dikes, because they are weakened and could be damaged. In the city of Oldenburg, there is a ban on entering dikes, which can be punished with a maximum penalty of 5,000 euros.

Due to the weather and flooding, train passengers should prepare for delays and route closures that will last longer than planned. The connection between Oldenburg and Osnabrück is still limited due to the floods, a Nordwestbahn spokeswoman said on Friday.

Meanwhile, levels at the dams in the Harz continue to fall. A spokesperson for the Harz water company said on Friday that no more water is currently being released via the emergency overflow. However, the situation remains tense as there is still too much water in the reservoirs. The water companies in the Harz hope for dry weather so that the dams can continue to empty and thus guarantee protection against floods.

(SDA)

Source: Blick