Sunday December 01, 2024

Flooding risk rises in much of Germany

Published : 24 Dec 2023, 22:09

  DF News Desk
The river Lahn in Giessen has burst its banks. Photo: Christian Lademann/dpa.

Recent heavy rainfall across much of Germany has increased the risk of flooding in several regions, reported dpa.

In the northern state of Lower Saxony, the third-highest of four warning levels was reached at 30 measuring stations early on Sunday, according to state authorities.

The threshold was exceeded by the rivers Weser, Aller, Leine and Oker, among others. At level three, flooding of properties and larger areas as well as roads and cellars is possible. The fire brigade and volunteers used sandbags to protect areas in several districts.

The emergency services secured transformer stations in the Rodenberg district east of Hanover, according to a dpa reporter present. Sirens sounded overnight to warn residents.

Local mayor Thomas Wolf said early on Sunday that the floodwater was flowing over the weir. Volunteers had run from house to house to warn residents. The municipality had not experienced a flood like this in 25 years, he said.

In the neighbouring state of Saxony-Anhalt, the flood forecasting centre issued warnings for the Mulde, Aller and Havel rivers.

The flood situation also worsened in parts of Saxony, with alert level 3 reached at several water gauges on Sunday morning, including in the city of Chemnitz.

On Saturday evening, the German weather service issued a warning for the states of Lower Saxony, North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate, Hesse, Bavaria and Saxony due to the continous rainfall.

"The persistent rain will continue until Monday, Christmas Day," it said.