Doak tree on the verge of breaking, hundreds of thousands of hectares of flooded farmland, flooded streets and houses surrounded by water, whose desperate residents do not know when and whether their homes will be habitable again – in many regions of Germany the land is underwater after the constant rain. Lower Saxony was hit particularly badly by the floods. The situation in Harsefeld in the Stade district was also critical a week ago. The monastery ponds overflowed and not only flooded the campsite, but also parts of the outdoor swimming pool. If the ice rink had also been hit, the damage would have been immense. Unlike in the neighboring communities, no residential buildings in Harsefeld were under water, says Mayor Ute Kück. “People there had to endure completely different fears.”
Eileen Kottke was also spared this. It wasn't until December, just in time for the heavy rain period, that she moved into her new house. In recent days the cold has turned the rain into snow. Before that, the ground was wet, she says. “But unlike on other properties, the water here seeped away immediately and didn’t stand any longer.”
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