In many regions of Germany it has been raining almost non-stop for days and river levels are rising ominously! Flooding is keeping rescue teams and residents on alert.
In Rinteln (Lower Saxony), people were rescued from flooding on Boxing Day, and in Windehausen (Thuringia) on Christmas Day.
▶︎ There are also major concerns in the Lower Saxony district of Goslar: the Oker dam in the Harz has reached its maximum capacity! Instead of 16 cubic meters (16,000 liters) per second, 30 cubic meters now flow into the river. Because of the imminent flooding of Oker, the city of Braunschweig closed several streets near the river. Furthermore, the town of Ruthe in the district of Hildesheim (Lower Saxony) is surrounded by floods.
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Village surrounded by water
The flood trapped the town of Ruthe in the district of Hildesheim (Lower Saxony). The river Innerste flows into the Leine here and creates a particularly tense flood situation.
Sad: Many curious people found their way into the city, reports Christoph Haferland, the local mayor of the district: “I am speechless about this disaster tourism”.
The city of Ruthe is surrounded by bodies of water
Photo: Julian Stratenschulte/dpa
December 26, 2023 – 9:36 pm
Drone films the extent of the flood
Flood alarm in Lower Saxony! You can see this here Drone photo of the Oker dam in Lower Saxony.
Photo: Thomas Schulz/dpa
December 26, 2023 – 9:18 pm
100,000 firefighters on duty
According to state fire director Dieter Rohrberg, 100,000 firefighters are on permanent duty in Lower Saxony. There are also Technical Assistance Agency forces and other aid organizations. Drones have also been used to monitor the situation from the air.
December 26, 2023 – 9:13 pm
Braunschweig closes roads
The city of Braunschweig has closed several streets near the Oker, the city administration announced. Motorists were asked to remove vehicles parked there. Streets leading to Oker are likely to be flooded, it was said.
▶︎ Braunschweig expects the water level of the Oker to rise later in the evening. In the morning the Oker dam in the Harz was full and the water has since been drained into the river.
Mobller flood protection in Braunschweig
Photo: Martin Dziadek
December 26, 2023 – 8:58 pm
Feared dike breach
The municipality of Lilienthal (Lower Saxony) describes the flood situation as “intensified and dynamic”. The situation in Wörpedeich, which has already been raised with sandbags in some places, is problematic. The greatest risk is at the level of the Stadskanaal, where the possibility of a dike failure cannot be excluded. The fire station, construction depot and other businesses are in permanent use.
December 26, 2023 – 8:50 pm
Voluntary evacuation completed
The voluntary evacuation of the city of Thürungen (Saxony-Anhalt) has been completed, reports the Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief. Some residents took advantage of the offer and went to the emergency shelter in Kelbra. This will continue to be a point of contact for people who want to leave their homes.
December 26, 2023 – 8:43 pm
Map shows where there is a risk of flooding
Floods continue to cause tension in many places in Germany. Where a tidal wave threatens, where the water is receding, read here
Photo: Lars Penning/dpa
December 26, 2023 – 8:31 pm
Firefighters save dog from drowning
The emergency services in Celle (Lower Saxony) were alerted in the early afternoon. A dog was at risk of drowning in the Altencelle neighborhood! When firefighters arrived, the dog was on an island in the flooded area and was unable to leave the island on its own. Thanks to firefighters, the animal was brought to a safe location and handed over to its happy owners.
December 26, 2023 – 7:49 pm
Dresden: Elbe level continues to rise
Dresden is preparing for the new rise of the Elbe!
The fire brigade is on duty and protecting the Laubegast bank with sandbags, the city said. “The Loschwitz volunteer fire department is installing a total of 2,100 sandbags here together with the Striesen professional fire department.” Furthermore, construction of the boundary beam system is being prepared on the edge of the terrace.
In the state capital, alert level 2 applies. However, the water level of the Elbe continues to rise. According to a forecast by the State Flood Center, it will reach the 6 meter mark and therefore alert level 3 of 4 in Dresden on Wednesday morning.
The Elbe is currently close to notification level 3. The terrace bank is already flooded. Ferry traffic is at a standstill
Photo: IMAGO/Bernd März
December 26, 2023 – 7:18 pm
Sandbags are being prepared here
The regional association THW Berlin, Brandenburg, Saxony-Anhalt shows on Facebook what many do not see: helpers join forces to fill sandbags. These are often the only way for affected people to protect themselves from bodies of water.
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