Flooding continues in central Germany with more rain expected

DPA
·1 min read
View of the flood area, after the river Ems burst its banks, the water stands on many flat areas in the district of Emsland. Lars Penning/dpa
View of the flood area, after the river Ems burst its banks, the water stands on many flat areas in the district of Emsland. Lars Penning/dpa

The flood situation remains critical in some regions of the German state of Lower Saxony, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry Hanover told dpa on Tuesday.

Further rainfall is expected, meaning water levels could rise and the situation could worsen in some places, the spokesman said.

In some municipalities, a so-called "exceptional event" has been declared, which means that districts or cities can access emergency services more easily. This level of preparedness continues to apply in six districts in Lower Saxony.

Further south the water level on the river Werra in the state of Thuringia has been rising again following heavy rainfall. The German Weather Service (DWD) has warned of heavy continuous rain in parts of Thuringia until Friday, particularly in the south-western Thuringian Forest and the southern Harz Mountains.

In northern Thuringia water levels are expected to rise significantly on the Zorge, Bere and Unstrut rivers. On Tuesday morning water levels at four measuring points in Thuringia were already causing concern.

A tractor drives over a flooded road in the flood zone. After the River Ems burst its banks, many areas are under water. Lars Penning/dpa
A tractor drives over a flooded road in the flood zone. After the River Ems burst its banks, many areas are under water. Lars Penning/dpa