Helpers are using sandbags to try to keep the water out of places in flood areas. The Bundeswehr has also been in action since Friday. The expected freezing cold could help in some places.
Sangerhausen/Hannover – For the first time in the current flood situation, Bundeswehr soldiers are on duty. Since yesterday, around 200 temporary and professional soldiers have been helping to fill and distribute sandbags in the Mansfeld-Südharz district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, a spokeswoman for the Bundeswehr said. The initial aim is to stabilize a section of the dike in Sangerhausen. The water has been pushing against the dike there for days.
Due to the tense flood situation in Lower Saxony, Bundeswehr helicopters are still on standby to provide assistance from the air. According to the state command, this involves a total of ten machines from the army, navy and air force, which are spread across several locations in the state. If an operation is necessary, the helicopters could, for example, support evacuations and the transport of heavy sandbags.
In Bremen, for example, where there is a warning of major flooding in the Wümme area, the situation remained rather static during the night, according to the fire department. There were no corresponding operations. Nevertheless, one cannot speak of a relaxed situation, said a spokesman.
Water levels could fall – the situation remains tense
The water levels on rivers in Lower Saxony could fall in the coming days. A tendency towards falling water levels is expected, said Anne Rickmeyer, director of the state agency for water management, coastal and nature conservation. However, it could still take several days or even a week until the water levels are below the more critical ones.
Weather service predicts temperature drop
After the continuous rain, a change in the weather is now bringing freezing cold to large parts of Germany. According to the DWD, there will still be rain showers in the center of the country and in the southwest today, while snow will fall in some areas in the rest.
In Saxony-Anhalt, the announced permanent frost could be helpful in fending off flooding: “That will play into our hands,” said a spokeswoman for the Mansfeld-Südharz district disaster team. The dikes would solidify in the frost. dpa
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