KAlmost 100 residents of Lilienthal near Bremen were allowed to return to their homes on Sunday afternoon after several days. The ban on entry and stay in the Stadskanaal area was lifted at 3 p.m., said a municipal spokeswoman. Since then there has been electricity there again. “This means that all Lilienthal apartments can now be heated again before the frost period lasting several days can cause major damage to the building structure,” said Mayor Kim Fürwentsches (Greens).
According to a community spokeswoman, the residents had not been allowed to enter their houses and apartments since December 28th. The background was that the dike behind the residential buildings was “extremely softened” due to the high water level of the Wörpe.
After consultation with the Osterholz district, the drinking water in the evacuated buildings is safe, even if it may have slight discoloration or an odor, it said. It is recommended to let the water run for a few seconds until the pipes are flushed. Residents were also asked to be careful and alert when entering their homes. If you notice unusual smells such as gas or noises, you should leave the building and inform the fire department.
Water protection barrier should remain in place until the end of March
The former evacuation area continues to be secured by huge sandbags (“big bags”). The water protection barrier is expected to remain in place until the end of March because that is when the storm surge season ends.
Initially, 338 people had to be brought to safety. The volunteer fire department initially stabilized and raised the dike with sandbags. After the second water protection barrier made of “big bags” was erected, many residents were able to return to their homes on New Year’s morning.
Lower Saxony and Bremen are still waiting for the situation to ease
It may still be days before the flood situation in Lower Saxony and Bremen noticeably eases. Peak levels have now been reached on some rivers, as the flood forecast center of the Lower Saxony State Office for Water Management, Coastal and Nature Conservation (NLWKN) announced in its situation report. However, water levels are expected to stagnate at a high level for the time being or only fall slowly.
Thousands of emergency services, such as those from the Technical Relief Agency (THW), fire departments and the police, are still on duty because of the flood, said a spokesman for the Ministry of the Interior in Hanover. However, there is currently no need for support from the Bundeswehr. “We have enough strength of our own.”
Frost expected in flood areas
It is getting noticeably colder in the flood areas in Lower Saxony and Bremen. According to the German Weather Service (DWD), there was light snowfall locally on Sunday and temperatures fell to between 0 and minus 4 degrees. The extent to which frost has a positive or negative effect on dike stability cannot be determined in general, said NLWKN director Anne Rickmeyer. Therefore, their advice is: The situation on the dikes must continue to be monitored closely. If there was relatively warm water on the dike before the frost period, the water there would not freeze and there would be no positive effects. If the earth's surface of the dike freezes, this will prevent further precipitation from penetrating. “That would then be seen as positive.”
Authority: High water levels, slow discharge
On Sunday, 23 of 97 water gauges nationwide reported the highest reporting level 3 – according to the NLWKN, the catchment areas of Aller, Leine, Oker, Hase, Hunte and Weser are still affected. Water levels on the Hunte and Hase rivers rose again after rain before the weekend. The flood peak has now been reached at the Hunte gauge in Huntlosen in the Oldenburg district, according to Saturday's flood situation report. The authorities expected water levels to slowly fall for the Hunte and Hase.
The start of school was affected by flooding
The flood has an impact on the start of school after the Christmas holidays in Lower Saxony. Since many roads are closed due to flooding, school buses will not be able to reach all stops on Monday (January 8th). Some routes are canceled. The districts of Celle, Oldenburg, Emsland, Osterholz, Heidekreis, Verden and the city of Oldenburg are badly affected by the flood. The attendance requirement has been lifted in several districts for students who cannot come to class due to flooding.
87-year-old found dead from flooded area
An 87-year-old, who had been missing since Wednesday, was discovered dead in Hannover-Würfel. Walkers found the old man lifeless in a flooded area on Saturday. According to police, it could not be determined whether the flood was the cause of his death. There has so far been no evidence that the man from Döhren died through third-party negligence. The 87-year-old did not return after a walk; he had a limited sense of direction due to illness.
Bremen's head of government promises help
In the Bremen districts of Timmersloh and Borgfeld affected by the floods, Bremen's Prime Minister Andreas Bovenschulte got an overview of the extent of the flooding on Saturday. He assured residents of help. “Where there is an acute emergency, we will not leave those affected alone and will help them with emergency aid,” said the SPD politician in a statement. What exactly this should look like remained unclear at first. Bremen is in close contact with Lower Saxony regarding the modalities, said Bovenschulte.
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