Fight against the water masses in Saxony-Anhalt

AOn the outskirts of Oberröblingen, a colorful board recommends “Hiking between the South Harz and Kyffhäuser” to visitors, specifically a tour called “Along the Helme”. However, the eight-kilometer-long circular hiking trail is currently not recommended because the water masses only provide an idea of ​​where the river normally runs.

“About there, by the trees,” a firefighter points with his finger into the landscape. And Sangerhausen's mayor Sven Strauss, whose town Oberröblingen belongs to, says: “Otherwise the helmet is maybe two meters wide.” The SPD politician looks thoughtfully at the flooded areas. “Now you feel like you’re on the Elbe here.”

In order to get an overview of the situation, District Administrator André Schröder (CDU) climbed into a police helicopter. The blue helicopter flies over the Goldene Aue, as the pretty valley below the Harz is often called. The low mountain range is a key source of the current floods. Because the Harz is one of the rainiest regions in the country.

The clouds from the west build up on its slopes and often cause huge amounts to fall. Rainfall has been particularly heavy in recent weeks. This is felt by citizens in the north of the Harz, where the water in Lower Saxony is causing the levels of the Oker, Leine and Aller to rise. But also the regions in the south of the Harz, which lie in the border area of ​​Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.

In order to protect the region, the Kelbra dam was built in the Golden Aue during GDR times. The dam absorbs the water from the Helme approximately twenty kilometers above Oberröblingen and thus buffers some of the runoff from the Harz. But the capacity of the system has long since reached its limit. It has had to let out a lot of water for days, which is now flooding the area.

While it's drizzling outside, André Schröder returns from his sightseeing flight in the police helicopter with a worried expression. “The situation is still tense, we are at the border,” says the district administrator of Mansfeld-Südharz as he passes by and enters the volunteer fire department building in Oberröblingen, where a meeting is scheduled.

Saint Florian is emblazoned on the facade and pours a bucket of water on a burning house. Saxony-Anhalt's Interior Minister Tamara Zieschang (CDU) also takes part in the meeting. The two politicians then highlighted the overwhelming willingness to help and drive below Saint Florian. “You rarely see so much solidarity,” says the district administrator and praises the support from the emergency services from other districts. The coordination with neighboring Thuringia was also successful without major friction. The Helmet runs sometimes through one country, sometimes through the other country, but neither acts to the detriment of the other.

The current rain on Tuesday and Wednesday is making the situation even worse, explains District Administrator Schröder. However, the situation has not yet been resolved with its end. The dam in Kelbra will continue to release a lot of water afterwards. “We have to be prepared for a lengthy operation,” he says. The designated flood areas along the Helme have long been flooded.