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Germany braces for more heavy rain in flood-affected areas

December 29, 2023

Since Christmas, several rivers in Germany have burst their banks due to heavy rains. Lower Saxony requested help from the Bundeswehr over the flooding, and six helicopters were put on standby.

https://p.dw.com/p/4aiM5
A flooded area of Thuringia
Parts of Germany already affected by flooding are expected to see continued heavy rainfallImage: Heiko Rebsch/dpa/picture alliance

Continued heavy rainfall is expected in some areas of Germany already affected by flooding, the national weather service DWD said.

Much of the country has been hit by severe rain since Christmas Day, causing some rivers to burst their banks, while others are close to their breach point.

DWD said that up to 40 millimeters of rain could fall within 24 hours in some areas of the western state of North-Rhine Westphalia and in the Harz Mountains in central Germany.

Lower Saxony sees heavy flooding, requests Bundeswehr help

Areas along the Aller, Leine and Weser rivers in the northwestern state of Lower Saxony had already been flooded, according to regional authorities.

Lower Saxony requested help from Germany's military, the Bundeswehr, on Friday, with state Interior Minister Daniela Behrens speaking of a "very tense situation."

According to the Bundeswehr, six helicopters were put on standby.

Firefighter truck in flooded area of Lower Saxony
Authorities in Lower Saxony spoke of a 'tense' situation as the flooding continuedImage: Philipp Schulze/dpa/picture alliance

A spokesman said that the operation would center around securing dikes in the area around Oldenburg and the region north of Hanover. Personnel and material transport and evacuations of people at risk could also be carried out.

The city of Oldenburg had declared an ongoing "extraordinary event," allowing districts to access emergency services more easily.

Lower Saxony's State Premier Stephan Weil said on Thursday that the state had never seen flooding of this magnitude.

"Experts have been warning for a long time that the increasingly frequent extreme weather events are linked to climate change," he said.

Water level lower than expected in Dresden

Rising water levels were also expected on the Elbe River in the city of Dresden, which is the capital of the eastern state of Saxony.

The water level reached its peak at 5.92 meters (19.5 feet).

Floods threaten northern Germany: DW's Kieran Burke reports

Saxony's flood center had expected the water to exceed 6 meters, which would have triggered the second-highest alert level.

The state's environment agency said that the risk of flooding had been completely averted for other rivers in Saxony.

sdi/mm (dpa, AFP)

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