Water levels remain high in German state of Lower Saxony

DPA
·2 min read
A traffic sign stands in the high water of the Elbe next to the ferry landing stage in Amt Neuhaus. Between Dömitz and Boizenburg, the Elbe has exceeded levels of 5.60 and 5.55 meters respectively. Alert level 1 has been in force since it exceeded five meters. Jens Büttner/dpa
A traffic sign stands in the high water of the Elbe next to the ferry landing stage in Amt Neuhaus. Between Dömitz and Boizenburg, the Elbe has exceeded levels of 5.60 and 5.55 meters respectively. Alert level 1 has been in force since it exceeded five meters. Jens Büttner/dpa

Water levels remained high in many parts of the German state of Lower Saxony, with 23 of 97 measuring stations at the highest alarm level, Interior Ministry spokesman Oliver Rickwärtz said in the state capital of Hanover on Sunday.

The levels were little changed, although slight falls were recorded in some areas, and dykes were still under pressure, he said. "We need staying power," he added.

Thousands of emergency workers were in action between the Harz mountains and the North Sea, the ministry said. Rickwärtz said that in the south of the state, sandbags were being collected and taken away.

He noted that precipitation was predicted to fall off over the days ahead, but an exceptional situation persisted in rural areas around Celle, Oldenburg, Emsland, Osterholz, Heidekreis and Verden, as well as in the city of Oldenburg.

This meant that local authorities could call for assistance more easily. No region in the state has been declared a disaster area.

"We do not currently need assistance from the army, as we have enough of our own people," Rickwärtz said. An army unit was placed in a state of readiness on Friday.

The body of an elderly man who went missing in Hanover had been found by passersby in a flooded area, police reported on Sunday.

It was not clear whether the flooding was the reason for the death of the 87-year-old, they said. There were no indications of foul play.

The man failed to return to his home in the Döhren part of Hanover after going for a walk on Wednesday. His sense of direction was reported to have been affected by a previous illness.

In Lilienthal near the north-western city of Bremen, residents were permitted to return to their homes on Sunday afternoon after being evacuated on December 28.

An access ban in the Stadskanaal district to the north of the city was lifted in mid-afternoon and the power supply restored.

"This means that all Lilienthal homes can be heated again, before the frost predicted for several days can cause structural damage, Mayor Kim Fürwentsches said.