Northern Germany battles severe flooding as snowmelt and rain overwhelm drainage systems

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Northern Germany battles severe flooding as snowmelt and rain overwhelm drainage systems

A flooded city street with water on the road, grass, a fence, signboards, light poles, trees, buildings, and a cloudy sky in the background.
Christine Miller
Christine Miller
2 Min.

Floods trigger deployments - Inflow decreases - Northern Germany battles severe flooding as snowmelt and rain overwhelm drainage systems

Heavy flooding has struck parts of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania after thawing snow, rain, and frozen ground caused water levels to surge. In Bentwisch, near Rostock, emergency crews were called in when a blocked drainage channel beneath a railway embankment led to severe inundation. At its worst, floodwaters reached 1.5 metres above normal levels fyi in the area.

The crisis began over the weekend as local fire departments in Bentwisch worked non-stop to manage rising waters. With the situation worsening, reinforcements arrived from Hamburg, Lübeck, and Ratzeburg to assist with relief efforts. By Monday, however, the extra units started returning home as conditions began to stabilise.

Other regions also faced flooding, including the Vorpommern-Greifswald district. Around 15 flood-related operations were still active there on Monday afternoon, though the pace of emergencies had slowed compared to the previous day.

No reports indicated high-water deployments by the THW in neighbouring federal states. Available data instead referenced unrelated incidents, such as a traffic accident in Schleswig-Holstein and past flooding events in Austria.

The flooding in Bentwisch and surrounding areas has eased, allowing reinforcements to withdraw. Emergency services remain on alert, but water levels have started to recede. Local authorities continue monitoring the situation as conditions return to normal.