Aftermath of the Flood: Assessment and Post-Flood Actions in Bremen
In the aftermath of the historic flooding that hit Bremen around New Year's Eve, the city is taking decisive action to improve its flood protection measures. Kathrin Moosdorf, the Environment and Climate Senator, has emphasised that flood protection is an ongoing task that requires attention to many areas.
The overall operation ran smoothly, with the cooperation of all stakeholders during the flood phase being particularly noteworthy. The flood experts from the senator's office, the fire brigade, the rescue forces, the local authority, the city cleaning, and many others worked hand in hand during the flood phase. An interdepartmental coordination group established by the Interior Authority proved very effective during the operation.
The prolonged duration of the operation was challenging, with rescue forces and residents fighting against the consequences of a century flood for weeks. Over 420 firefighters from Bremen, around 50 THW personnel, and 35 personnel from other aid organisations were involved in combating the floodwaters.
The flooding has highlighted where there is still a need for action in Bremen in terms of flood protection. The disaster protection in the Interior Authority will be systematically expanded, with individual capability gaps being closed in the budget planning. Examples of additions to the budget planning include the acquisition of a deep-water capable vehicle for flooding situations, a special vehicle for working on saturated dikes, and the basic equipment for spontaneous helpers and the final equipment for the youth fire departments.
The flooding has also revealed that some dike sections in Bremen lacked dike defense paths. To address this, the Dike Association on the right bank of the Weser will create dike defense paths. Furthermore, the inland dikes in the state of Bremen need to be investigated and possibly raised. The long-standing cooperation with Lower Saxony will be continued for this purpose.
To fundamentally improve the stability of dikes, trees and other vegetation should be removed from them. The dikes proved resilient during the flood event, but investigations will also examine whether and how the outflow of a flood could be accelerated.
The heavy rainfall and storm surges in the turn of the year 2023/2024 resulted in record-high water levels on the tributaries of the Weser. The flooding has clearly shown the need for Bremen to prepare for future flood events, as the climate crisis is expected to bring more rainfall and frequent storm surges. A clear focus on disaster protection can be seen in the 2024 budget, with funds for examining and preparing the inland dikes being considered in the current budget and included in future budgets.
On May 23, a joint extraordinary meeting was held to present a report on the flooding incident and the resulting action needs. The organization specifically being equipped in the future for flood situations on the Weser riverbanks to improve dyke stability is the NLWKN (Niedersächsischer Landesbetrieb für Wasserwirtschaft, Küsten- und Naturschutz), which is being permanently strengthened with about 30 additional staff in the 2025 budget to enhance flood forecasting, regional teams, and planning related to flood and coastal protection.
In conclusion, Bremen is taking proactive steps to improve its flood protection measures and prepare for future events. The city is working closely with various stakeholders, expanding its disaster protection, and making significant investments in equipment and personnel to ensure the safety of its residents.
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