France sends dyke system to help with flooding in Germany

DPA
·2 min read
The playground in Butendieker Gehoelz is under water. In the municipality threatened by flooding, two forests are no longer allowed to be entered as the trees are no longer stable due to the waterlogged ground. Sina Schuldt/dpa
The playground in Butendieker Gehoelz is under water. In the municipality threatened by flooding, two forests are no longer allowed to be entered as the trees are no longer stable due to the waterlogged ground. Sina Schuldt/dpa

France is sending aid to Germany to help combat flooding in the northern state of Lower Saxony after days of heavy rainfall.

The first part of an approximately 1.2 kilometre long mobile dyke system is expected to arrive in Germany on Tuesday evening, according to a spokesman for the Interior Ministry.

The remaining modules are to follow on Wednesday. It was initially unclear exactly where the dyke system would be deployed.

"These mobile dyke systems can make an important contribution to keeping this situation under control in particularly badly affected areas," said Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens.

According to the ministry, the request was sent to the EU Commission via a joint federal and state reporting centre. The request was then passed on to the countries involved.

According to the ministry, this is the second time such a request has been made from Germany - the last time was in 2022 for a forest fires in northern Germany's Harz Mountains, when Italian firefighting aircraft were deployed.

An aerial view taken by a drone shows flooded areas. According to the forecasts of the German Weather Service (DWD), heavy rain is expected to continue, so the situation remains tense. Sina Schuldt/dpa
An aerial view taken by a drone shows flooded areas. According to the forecasts of the German Weather Service (DWD), heavy rain is expected to continue, so the situation remains tense. Sina Schuldt/dpa
Emergency services from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) are deployed to secure a residential building on the Osternburg Canal from the threat of flooding with sandbags. According to forecasts from the German Weather Service (DWD), rain is expected to continue, so the situation in Lower Saxony remains tense. Hauke-Christian Dittrich/dpa
The meadows in the Itzgrund are still flooded, now more precipitation is coming. Flood level 3 is expected to be reached again at the Schenkenau gauge on the night of January 3. Pia Bayer/dpa
The meadows in the Itzgrund are still flooded, now more precipitation is coming. Flood level 3 is expected to be reached again at the Schenkenau gauge on the night of January 3. Pia Bayer/dpa