Flood alarm in Lower Saxony: Devastating amounts of rain in sight!

Flood alarm in Lower Saxony: Devastating amounts of rain in sight!

Rotenburg (Wümme), Deutschland - Severe weather warnings and flood risk: Lower Saxony is once again facing a stressful time. In retrospect for the drastic rains at the end of 2023, which put the entire country under water, the memories of many residents are still fresh. The question remains: could something like this repeat at the turn of 2023/2024? According to reports from t-online.de are, however, far less threatening. In the months of October to December 2023, over 402.9 liters of rain fell in a measuring point in Bremen, and only 143.5 liters brought up to date in 2024. Similar positive trends show the data from Rotenburg and Oldenburg, where the rainy amounts were also strongly reduced.

tense situation at the turn of the year

Last year, the rainy amounts with flood stalls, which only occur every five to twenty years, combined. According to the Lower Saxony state company for water management, coastal and nature conservation (NLWKN), the drainage quantities in several communities are up to four times higher than usual, which led to a dramatic situation. A large number of residents had to leave their houses when the levels exceeded the highest registration levels. The flood led to the nationwide damage of an estimated 161 million euros, which illustrates the need for a well-thought-out flood management, as by dieniedersachsen.de

The forecasts of the weather experts indicate that the problems could be reinforced by climate change, which causes flood events to occur more frequently and more intensively. With a view to the upcoming months, it remains to be seen how the weather will develop and whether Lower Saxony is well prepared against the forces of nature. The current precipitation data give the reason to hope that new floods may fail.