Dresden is preparing: high water marks on lanterns planned!

Dresden is preparing: high water marks on lanterns planned!

Dresdenhas experienced two floods in the last twelve months, which worried residents. While the level of the Elbe rose to almost six meters shortly before Christmas 2023, it even exceeded this mark in September 2024. However, these values ​​are a far cry from the historic “millennium floods” that caused significant damage in 2002 and 2013 with even higher water levels.

In order to better inform the population about possible dangers, the city has launched a new plan that will make the high water marks visible up to a level of 10.50 meters. This initiative is part of efforts to improve flood protection and visibility of flood hazards following the devastating floods of 2013.

Plans to implement the high water marks

Since 2020, the city has been trying to make flood issues visible in a 3D city model. In this model, citizens can track the flooding of the Elbe and the associated risks. Another step in this direction is a measure that was decided on in 2018 but has not yet been implemented, which states that flood levels should be visualized using markings on street lights.

According to CDU parliamentary group leader Heike Ahnert, around 10,000 lanterns can be used in the potentially flooded areas. She suggests limiting the markings to around 10 lanterns per 100 intersections in order to significantly improve the information situation for the population. “Many people were very uncertain about what the water level forecasts meant for them,” said Ahnert.

Although the idea is well received, there are still challenges to be overcome. Mayor Dirk Hilbert (FDP) explained that the city lacked both financial and human resources to implement the markings. The estimated cost is around 20,000 euros, and due to the precise measurement of the locations required, additional effort and costs must be taken into account.

Criticism and support for the project

The discussion about flood markings is characterized by different opinions. Some politicians accuse the CDU of overestimating the importance of the markings while at the same time rowing back on important climate protection measures.“It is perfidious that the CDU attaches so much importance to making the flood levels visible, but at the same time they want to cancel the city’s climate protection concept,”says Anne Herpertz, a member of the Pirate Party. According to her, flood visibility measures are not effective if savings are made on climate protection at the same time.

The CDU, on the other hand, sees the implementation as a necessary step to give citizens a better understanding of flood risks. Ahnert emphasizes that such more transparent information could help residents respond appropriately to upcoming flood events.

However, the city's current financial situation makes it difficult to implement the plan. Heike Ahnert suggests possibly reducing the markings and instead financing small measures from the city districts' budget.

Overall, the situation in Dresden shows that increased awareness of flood risks is urgently needed. Citizens not only need digital information, which may not always be accessible in times of crisis, but also clear, visual cues in urban spaces. This could be crucial for the personal safety of residents.

For more information about the planned high water marks in Dresden and other details, see the current reporting on www.saechsische.de.