More rain expected in Lower Saxony, flood levels largely unchanged

DPA
·2 min read
A decorated Christmas tree sticks out of the flood waters of the Weser in Achim-Baden. Numerous helpers are out and about in the district of Verden to secure dykes and protect residential areas from the flooding of the Aller, Weser and Wuemme rivers. Str/dpa
A decorated Christmas tree sticks out of the flood waters of the Weser in Achim-Baden. Numerous helpers are out and about in the district of Verden to secure dykes and protect residential areas from the flooding of the Aller, Weser and Wuemme rivers. Str/dpa

The flood situation remains tense in many parts of Lower Saxony on New Year's Day, with data showing little change in water levels on Monday.

Warnings are in place for major floods in Leine, the Aller and the Upper and Middle Weser according to the State Office for Water Management, Coastal Defence and Nature Conservation (NLWKN).

On New Year's Eve, the German Weather Service (DWD) had warned of continuous rain in Lower Saxony over the next few days. The official storm warning issued on Sunday evening is valid from Tuesday at 00:00 until probably Thursday night and thus falls within the already tense flood situation.

"Widespread continuous rain in Lower Saxony on Tuesday and Wednesday," the DWD forecast showed. "In the Harz Mountains, there is a risk of severe weather due to heavy continuous rain," the DWD announced.

The warnings come a day after Chancellor Olaf Scholz travelled to the area affected and as Interior Minister Nancy Faeser plans to assess the flooding.

Faeser is later due to visit Hatten-Sandkrug near Oldenburg to find out about the situation and talk to the emergency services, accompanied by Lower Saxony's Interior Minister Daniela Behrens, aid organization THW President Sabine Lackner and police chief Dieter Romann.

In some areas, such as the district of Celle, water levels were falling slightly. But Celle Mayor Jörg Nigge said the situation had only eased slightly and no all-clear had been given.

"The levels are dropping, there is relief. But it's not over yet," he said on Sunday, noting rainfall is forecast on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The River Aller in Celle reached 4.81 metres at 10 am on Monday, meaning it fell 17 centimetres within 24 hours.

In Langlingen in the municipality of Flotwedel, which was particularly badly affected by the flooding, the level of the Aller stood at 5.44 metres on Monday morning, also 17 centimetres lower than the previous day.