After a dike burst in Lilienthal near Bremen in Germany, adjacent streets were successfully evacuated. “The measures were relatively calm,” the community said on Thursday night. After an initial evacuation on Wednesday evening, additional streets were cleared during the night “for urgent safety reasons,” the fire department announced.
According to the community, the people stayed with friends and relatives or in a prepared gymnasium. The electricity was then switched off in the evacuated area. The municipality wanted to provide further information at a press conference at lunchtime.
Some other regions in Germany also continue to fight against floods. In some places the situation remains tense even after days. Areas affected include areas on the Elbe in Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt as well as on the Weser in North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony.
The six-meter mark on the Elbe should be exceeded
In Dresden, the six-meter mark on the Elbe is expected to be exceeded on Thursday morning. In order to protect Saxony-Anhalt’s state capital Magdeburg from flooding, the Pretzien weir will be pulled on Thursday morning. The approximately 135 meter long weir was last opened in June 2013. Even now it is supposed to ensure that a third of the Elbe water flows into a 21 kilometer long canal around Schönebeck, Magdeburg and other places in the Elbe lowlands until it flows back into the Elbe.
According to the German Weather Service (DWD) forecast, it will remain largely dry in Germany on Thursday. This could ease the flood situation on some rivers somewhat. However, according to the DWD, the risk of heavier rainfall will then increase again.
Climate change makes extreme weather events more likely.
