Storm flood warning: Baltic Sea region is preparing for floods!

In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, there is currently a warning of higher water levels on the Baltic Sea coast. The weather service has raised the alarm after the water levels started to climb on Friday evening. According to the NDR The storm flood warning applies to the entire Baltic coast, from the Kiel Bucht in Schleswig-Holstein in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. Stralsund in particular is expected to be affected more than Wismar.

The Federal Institute for Hydraum (BSH) assumes that the water levels will be between 0.5 and 1 meter above the middle water. For the Bay of Bay, up to 95 centimeters above the middle water level may be forecast. A maximum of 1.15 meters can be expected in Koserow on Usedom.

measuring stations and water level data

Measuring stations in the region, including in Wismar, Warnemünde, Althagen, Barth, Stralsund, Sassnitz and Greifswald, continuously record the current levels. The definitions of "medium low water" (MNW) and "medium flood" (MHW) are particularly important for the population. For Warnemünde, the MNW is 407 cm and the MHW is 617 cm. The highest flood level was recorded there with 770 cm on November 13, 1872, while the lowest water level was measured with 332 cm on October 18, 1967.

The storm surge classes that are used to assess the current situation range from a storm surge with 1.00 to 1.25 m above the middle water level to very heavy storm surges from over 2.00 m. In the case of floods, various institutions, including flood centers, federal and police, warn the population via various media, television and social media.

The last severe storm surge in October damage of 56 million euros. The city of Sassnitz needs 42 million euros for the restoration of its infrastructure and 6 million euros to remedy sand losses on beaches and dunes by artificial flushing, such as the Ostsee-Zeitung reported.

The meteorological conditions contribute to the current storm flood warning, as strong to stormy gusts blow from western to northern direction. In Greifswald the barrier could be closed to minimize possible damage.