Magdeburg/Halle (Saale) – Since Christmas, Saxony-Anhalt has been fighting against severe flooding in many places. After a week, the water levels are falling in many places, but in other places the emergency services continue to fight the water masses. We provide an overview:
Where is the current flood coming from?
In the north of Saxony-Anhalt, heavy rain caused the first rivers to overflow their banks before Christmas. Storm Zoltan then made the situation significantly worse. Because it brought in addition to the storm Lots of rain with it. Especially in the Harz Mountains, it was pouring rain just before Christmas.
The flood situation remains tense in many places in Saxony-Anhalt. (Editor: Alexander Pförtsch, camera: VS editorial team/MZ editorial team)
Added to this was the melting snow. The storm also brought mild air with it, which melted the snow on the Harz slopes in a very short time. Within a few days, small streams became like Oker or Helme raging rivers. Dams were full.
Which regions were affected by the floods in Saxony-Anhalt?
Almost all regions in Saxony-Anhalt were affected by the Christmas flood, from the Unstrut in the south to Jeetze and stupid people in the Altmark. Almost all major rivers in Saxony-Anhalt overflow their banks over Christmas. The levels occur at the end of the year Saalehollow or Bode but already again. However, heavy rain on Friday and Saturday caused water levels to rise again in some places. However, this was not critical.
At the turn of the year there was only alert level 4 in the south of the country at Helme, after the ear level in Wolmirstedt was also slowly receding.
The river level on both the Ohre in Wolmirstedt and the Unstrut in Wangen fell so far that only alert level 2 applies on New Year’s Day.
Jeetze and Dumme: Floods in the Altmarkkreis – Zoo in Salzwedel flooded (camera: Alexander Rekow)
On which rivers in Saxony-Anhalt is the situation still critical?
On the Elbe, the peak of the flood rolls through Saxony-Anhalt. From Wittenberg to Magdeburg the water levels are already falling on New Year’s Eve morning. In Tangermünde, the peak could also be reached on New Year’s Eve. The Pretzien weir was pulled on Thursday, which particularly relieves pressure on Magdeburg. The situation on the Elbe is considered manageable. A maximum of the second of four warning levels applies.
The Elbe has turned into a wide river in Magdeburg. Among other things, many Elbe meadows are now flooded. Because of the flooding, there is now a connection on the water all the way to the industrial port. (Camera: Martin Rieß, editing: Torsten Grundmann)
Water levels of the Elbe in centimeters (cm):
Dresden
441
01.01.
5:30 p.m
Wittenberg
515
01.01.
5:30 p.m
Schönebeck
560
01.01.
5:30 p.m
Magdeburg Rothensee
683
01.01.
5:30 p.m
Niegripp
769
01.01.
11:45 a.m
Tangermünde
617
01.01.
5:30 p.m
What is the Pretzien Weir?
The Pretziener Weir is a flood protection facility south of Magdeburg on the Elbe that is more than 100 years old. During floods, the weir can be opened, so that around a third of the Elbe’s water flows east past Schönebeck and Magdeburg in a 21-kilometer-long canal.
The Pretzien weir near the town of Pretzien is part of a dike system to protect the cities of Magdeburg and Schönebeck from flooding from the Elbe. It opened on Thursday morning. (Camera: Thomas Schulz, editing: Torsten Grundmann)
According to the State Office for Flood Protection, this ensures that the water does not hit the dams and dikes with full force. On Thursday the weir was pulled for the first time since 2013. The result is road closures, including the B246a between “Alte Fähre” and the town entrance to Plötzky. The area can only be bypassed on a large scale via Magdeburg or Dessau.
The flood situation in Saxony-Anhalt remains tense: Pretzien: Two photographers stand at the Pretzien weir at sunrise.
Photo: dpa/stephan schulz
What is the flood situation on the Helme?
The flood situation is most dangerous in the Mansfeld-Südharz district around the Kelbra reservoir. At around 38 million cubic meters, it is still filled beyond its maximum. Therefore, as much water as possible must be drained, which in turn leads to flooding on the Helme. The highest alert level 4 applies here. Among other things, residents in Thuringia were advised to evacuate the area voluntarily. Sangerhausen also reserves the right to evacuate Oberröblingen. The situation here remains critical. Hundreds of helpers are fighting against the water.
The Kelbra reservoir and the Helme are the areas most affected by flooding on Friday. In Roßla, residents and emergency services help install sandbags. (Editor: Christian Kadubietz/Camera: Steffi Rohland)
On Saturday, the district administrator of the Mansfeld-Südharz district declared a disaster. This means that responsibility for flood defense is transferred to the district, which wants to coordinate the measures centrally.
After the disaster has been determined, the district will switch on from Saturday evening at 6 p.m Citizen telephone. From Sunday onwards this will be regular from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the number 03464 – 535 1960 reachable.
Emergency services are fighting for dikes on the Helme
In Sangerhausen-Oberröblingen, the emergency services continue to fight the Helme flood. Among other things, attempts are being made to seal the mill race, which runs directly through the town, towards Helme and to use pumps to keep the water level in the mill race low so that the water does not flood residential buildings.
In addition, there are always damaged areas on the softened dikes, which are reinforced with sandbags. Hundreds of helpers are working along the Helme to maintain the dikes.
The Sangerhausen – Erfurt railway line was closed for the transport of sandbags. A special freight train is now in use here to transport sandbags to the dikes. In the Oberröblingen industrial area, a sandbag filling station with numerous helpers is in continuous operation.
Targeted opening of dikes in Thuringia temporarily relieves pressure
The B85 and other roads are closed. Firefighters created a replacement dike between Berga and Kelbra on Thursday evening. It is supposed to keep the water west of the road. The water level in the Helme is clearly over 2.40 meters.
On the Thuringian side, a Helme dike near Mönchpfiffel-Nikolausrieth was opened to divert water from the river onto fields. On Sunday the dike opening was enlarged again.
Flooding in Saxony-Anhalt: The Kelbra dam is almost full. (Camera: Frank Schedwill)
Due to further rainfall in the region, the amount released from the Kelbtra reservoir is to be increased again, it was said on New Year’s Day. Because more continuous rain is forecast and the dam is still full to the brim.
In several places the water reaches the houses. The emergency forces are deployed here with a large contingent. There is a ban on entering the dikes.
Floods: Alert level 4 currently applies to these rivers in Saxony-Anhalt
- A bead – Names / water level = 242 cm
(01/01, 5:15 p.m.)
Floods: Alert level 3 currently applies to these rivers in Saxony-Anhalt
On New Year’s morning, alert level 3 does not apply at any measuring level in Saxony-Anhalt.
How will the flood situation in Saxony-Anhalt continue to develop?
The water on most rivers is slowly receding. However, sodden dikes and sagging streets continued for a lot of work at the fire department. The all-clear is not yet given everywhere.
New rain – new wave of floods?
On Friday and Saturday it rained heavily again, especially in the Harz Mountains. At the Helme in Mansfeld-Südharz, this led to more water being released from the Kelbra reservoir as a precaution. As a result, the level of the helmets continued to rise to over 2.40 meters.
In the north, the rain also caused water levels to rise again. The guideline level of alert level 2 was exceeded on the Dumme in the Altmark after the situation there had initially eased in the past few days. The water levels also rose slightly again at Jeetze and Aland for a short time.
Also read: After the White Elster overflowed its banks again: flood protection is required by the state
In the southern Harz, however, up to 60 liters of rain per square meter are forecast again at the beginning of January. This could further worsen the Helme floods.
What is the flood situation in Magdeburg?
In Magdeburg, the Elbe level continued to rise on Saturday, but less than feared. The peak was reached around New Year’s Eve and the water level is now falling.
Some paths and streets near the Elbe are closed. The city administration currently estimates that the flooding does not pose a major threat. Precautionary However, the mobile flood protection wall was built at the racecourse in Herrenkrug. Anyone who owns property near the Elbe is asked to keep it safe.
In principle, all dikes in the city area should no longer be accessed in order not to impair the work of the State Office for Flood Protection (LHW).
What is the flood situation in Halle?
In Halle the floodwaters are slowly but steadily receding. The peak of the Saale flood reached the city on Wednesday. The Trotha gauge reported 4.94 meters. On Saturday the first flood warning level was below again. The situation is normalizing.
According to the city, around 400 cubic meters of water per second were measured in the Saale in Trotha at times – that was four times the usual statistical amount. The flood did not cause any major damage.
What is the flood situation in Dessau-Roßlau?
With the Mulde and the Elbe, Dessau-Roßlau is affected by flooding in two ways. But the situation is manageable. The levels of the Elbe and Mulde are now falling and the situation is slowly returning to normal.
What are the emergency services asking for?
The fire brigade urges you not to disrupt the flood work and not to enter the dikes. Some of these are already soaked due to the masses of water and are no longer as stable as in normal times.
also read: Disoriented man rescued from flooding near Rotenburg
From reports from other federal states, that sandbags are stolen, nothing is known in Saxony-Anhalt yet. However, the fire brigade reports a blatant case: in the middle of the flood operation, the emergency services had to go out on December 26th to get kite surfers from the Kelbra reservoir.
Plus there is several casesin which people recklessly ventured into floodwaters on boats and then had to be rescued.
In which federal states is the flood situation also tense?
The critical situation at the Kelbra reservoir also threatens several places in Thuringia. The flood situation is even more explosive in large parts of Lower Saxony and Bremen. Thousands of relief workers are deployed across the country. Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited some flood-hit locations in Lower Saxony on Sunday and thanked the helpers.
2024-01-01 23:43:12
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