100 years of storm flood warning: This is how Hamburg's modern service protects today!

100 years of storm flood warning: This is how Hamburg's modern service protects today!

Hamburg, Deutschland - It was an autumn day in 1924 when Hamburg made a groundbreaking decision: the first storm flood warning for the North Sea was sent on the radio. At a time when only a few households had a broadcasting recipient, people listened intently to the words of the German Sea seekers, which were distributed by the Nordic radio, the predecessor of today's NDR. This warning was the beginning of the public storm flood warning system, which has been contributing to the protection of life and property on the coast for a century.

Since reunification, the national storm flood warning service has been supervised by the Federal Office for Sea shipping and hydrography (BSH), which is still located on the Hamburg Landungsbrücken. In a century full of technical progress, the way in which these warnings are disseminated has changed fundamentally.

The development of the storm flood warning system

Before 1924 there were storm warnings, but they were initially limited to time signals and simple news about the Norddeich Radio coast radio station. Weather reports and storm warnings have been transmitted daily since 1911, which were based on collected data from levels and wind statistics. "Since 1840, the water levels have been recorded regularly at various points on the North Sea coast. With the introduction of automatic level writers in 1880, continuous measurements were made," explains Helge Heegewaldt, President of the BSH.

The premiere of the first public radio color marked a turning point: Even if only a small part of the population was initially reached, this led to a significant improvement in the communication options for storm flood warnings. Institutions such as the German seawarte and later the German Hydrographic Institute received a central role in maritime security.

Modern technologies and warning systems

Today, 100 years after the first warning, the BSH storm surge is a highly developed facility. "Today there are forecasts for high and low water for 39 level stations on the North Sea coast," emphasizes Heegewaldt. These warnings are crucial for public security and are part of the critical infrastructure in Germany.

The decision as to whether a warning will be issued is not exclusively by digital systems. "The experts combine their models with experience," added Heegewaldt. These warnings are distributed via various channels: Internet, radio and apps such as Nina and Katwarn, which send information directly to those affected.

Despite all the technical achievements, a firecracker system is still used in Hamburg to warn the population of an upcoming storm surge. Two firecrackers are fired to alert people at the harbor and in the area - a tradition that goes back to the beginning of the storm flood warning system.

The 2023/2024 season was both challenging and active, with a total of 13 storm surges on the North Sea coast. The Sturm Zoltan was particularly serious on December 22, 2023, which in Hamburg St. Pauli generated a water level of 3.33 meters above the middle flood area. Thanks to advanced predictive systems and improved coastal protection, it was possible to avert major damage.

One of the biggest challenges for the storm flood warning is climate change. "Despite the warming of climate, there are no significant climbs in the frequency of storm surges," explains Heegewaldt. The most important factors for storm surges remain the tides and the strength and direction of the wind.

So far, long -term studies have not shown any significant changes, but climate models warn that the likelihood of storm surges could increase at the end of the century without measures to contain climate change. "Sturm floods could also become more dangerous because the rising sea level will occur at a higher starting level, which could cause more damage," added Heegewaldt.

The historical review and the technological development of the storm flood warning system impressively show the importance of preventive measures and continuous technical progress. This system not only protected people on the coast, but also their ownership from the dangers of nature. The entire spectrum of the institutions, from the German seawart to the BSH, has always developed to meet the challenges of time.