The relentless downpour in North Rhine-Westphalia has resulted in floods in numerous regions, with the Ems and Lippe areas bearing the brunt of the waterlogged circumstances. Three measuring stations in the Ems catchment area and two in the Lippe area have seen their levels rise, leading to flooding. On Friday, one measuring station in the Niers and Schwalm catchment areas, as well as another in the Siege catchment area, exceeded the second-highest warning threshold, signaling potential threats to individual structures or cellars. Measures such as road closures or sandbag placements might be necessary, according to Lanuv. While the highest warning level hasn't been triggered at any measuring station in NRW as of yet, further water level increases are anticipated heading into the Christmas season. The soils in North Rhine-Westphalia are already soaked due to the previous weeks' rain, resulting in any additional precipitation simply running off the surface.
While the continuous rainfall has caused flooding, experts emphasize the need to take further measures to prevent future issues. Researchers from the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) advocate for increased federal support of river revitalization efforts, which can bolster natural water retention and lessen flood risks. Improving hazard maps, which can predict inundation, flow velocities, and damage hotspots, is another critical step. Additionally, there's a call for better early warning systems, more effective community education, and post-mining landscape restoration to create more resilient ecosystems equipped to weather flooding.
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