Flood alarm in Dresden: Elbe water level exceeds critical values!

On January 6, 2025, several sources will report on the state of the Elbe water level in Dresden and the current flood warnings for Saxony. The Elbe is one of the largest rivers in Europe and flows through important cities, including Dresden, Dessau, Magdeburg and Wittenberge, before flowing into the North Sea at Brunsbüttel.

There are currently flood warnings in Saxony and the water levels have exceeded the guideline value for alert level 1. How dnn.de reported, the water levels of “mean low water” (MNW) and “mean high water” (MHW) were averaged over a certain period of time. The MNW is calculated from the annual low value over a period of ten years. If the water level is over 5.5 meters, the Terrassenufer in Dresden is affected by flooding, as are access options in Mickten, Johannstadt and Pieschener Allee.

Current water level and alert levels

Mobile flood protection gates are activated when water levels reach 6.10 meters on Weißeritzstrasse and 7 meters on Ostraufer. The following flood alert levels apply in Saxony:

• Alarmstufe 1: Kleines Hochwasser (Beginn der Ausuferung)
• Alarmstufe 2: Mittleres Hochwasser (Überflutung von Grünland)
• Alarmstufe 3: Großes Hochwasser (Überflutung von Grundstücken)
• Alarmstufe 4: Sehr großes Hochwasser (Überflutung größerer Flächen)

According to the last update on January 6, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. CET, there is no current data on water levels with a flood reporting function environment.sachsen.de is particularly highlighted. The water level shows a trend towards low water, but an increase of more than 5 cm has been recorded in the same period.

There are currently no specific flood warnings in place, however local flooding caused by heavy rain cannot be accurately predicted. Flooding can occur at varying geographical extents and warnings are based on observed water levels and hydrological forecasts.