Chancellor Scholz visits flood-hit areas in northern Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz visited the flood-hit areas in the country's northern state of Lower Saxony on Sunday after storms caused chaos in several regions.

Scholz travelled to the town of Verden, some 90 kilometres north-west of the state capital Hanover, accompanied by Lower Saxon Premier Stephan Weil and state Interior Minister Daniela Behrens.

Scholz took a flyover of the particularly affected areas in northern Lower Saxony. His group was then briefed on the situation in Verden on the Aller river.

Scholz paid tribute to members of the emergency services in Verden, who are likely to spend New Year's Eve fighting against the water.

"The weather and nature are challenging us," he said. "That's why it's important that we stick together in the state. This is also being done everywhere by the responsible organizations, the police, the fire brigade, the technical relief organization, and the German Armed Forces have also provided their support."

Many volunteers are also doing everything they can to minimize the consequences and protect people and homes, Scholz added.

"I can see that the willingness goes far beyond those who are now working professionally or volunteering in aid organizations. Local citizens are also helping out and asking what they can do," he said.

He promised the federal government would do everything possible to help the affected states and municipalities.

For days, thousands of members of the emergency services have been battling the fallout from heavy rainfall in several parts of Germany. Areas in Lower Saxony, southern Saxony-Anhalt on the border with Thuringia and North Rhine Westphalia were particularly hard hit.

The situation in Lower Saxony remains tense, Premier Weil said. "We can see that the pressure of the water is still enormous in the northern parts of Lower Saxony," he remarked in Verden.

He welcomed the fact that safety systems have held up so far.

"But we know very well that the longer the pressure of the water remains on the dykes, the greater the risk that these dykes could still break."

So far, Germany has got off lightly, Weil said. He knew of no fatalities and only one injury to firefighters. He also welcomed the fact that relatively few people have had to be evacuated.

He also praised the community effort, noting there are more than 100,000 active volunteers across the country and around 6 million to 10 million sandbags have already been filled and placed.

Asked about possible compensation for areas affected, Weil said that the focus is on the acute crisis. "After that, we will certainly deal with the other questions of what damage has been caused and what possibilities there are for assistance."

After the rainfall had recently eased slightly, meteorologists are expecting more rain over the next few days, leading to fears that river levels could rise again. However, only showers are forecast for the immediate future and should cause no further damage.

The authorities are particularly concerned about softened dykes.

In Oldenburg in Lower Saxony, around 600 more people have been told to prepare for a possible evacuation, according to the city council.

Dykes by one road are under heavy strain and a breach cannot be ruled out at this point, the city announced on Sunday. Should this occur, the fire brigade will make loudspeaker announcements to inform people of the evacuation order.

Those affected should only take essentials and important documents with them. A school have been provided as temporary accommodation.

There were problems in the city of Celle in Lower Saxony, where a driver deliberately drove into a road that was closed due to flooding. The council said a mobile water barrier was now unusable.

In Meppen near the Dutch border, the recent high water levels are continuing to fall slightly, the city said. However, to avoid risks, citizens were asked to refrain from setting off New Year's fireworks.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser plans to visit the state on Monday.

Faeser plans to meet state Interior Minister Behrens in the Oldenburg area along with emergency services. They are expected to monitor how a Federal Police helicopter transports large sand bags to reinforce the dykes.

In 2021, then-chancellor Angela Merkel went to the Ahr Valley in western Germany, where over 300 people died in flash flooding.