- Title: GERMANY: Eastern Germany prepares for flooding along Polish border
- Date: 27th May 2010
- Summary: RATZDORF, GERMANY (MAY 26, 2010) (REUTERS) CYCLISTS STANDING BEHIND ANTI-FLOOD METAL BARRIERS WATCHING RISING WATER OF RIVER ODER, WITH POLAND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER PEOPLE WALKING ALONG METAL BARRIER, FLOOD CHECKPOINT IN RIVER DIGITAL NUMBER SHOWING WATER LEVEL AT 577 CENTIMETRES VARIOUS OF WORKERS TIGHTENING BOLTS AS THEY SET UP METAL BARRIERS ALONG RIVER (6 SHOTS) BRANCHES FLOATING PAST IN RIVER PEOPLE WATCHING RIVER FROM BEHIND METAL BARRIER TREE IN RIVER SHOWING WATER LINE DURING 1997 FLOODS CAT ON SIDE OF RIVER POLES WHERE METAL BARRIERS WILL BE PUT UP FLOOD CHECKPOINT IN RIVER (SOUNDBITE) (German) PASSERBY, GERHARD FEIGE SAYING: "They are counting on the peak of the floods arriving here on Thursday or Friday and I don't think we will get our feet wet." DOG ROLLING IN GRASS NEAR RIVER (SOUNDBITE) (German) RATZDORF RESIDENT, SIMONE NEUMAIER SAYING: "The big question is whether the dams will resist or not. They were all rebuilt in the years that we had the floods. But we are anxious. Let's see and hope that everything resists the water." WIDE OF FIELD ON GERMAN SIDE OF RIVER ODER
- Embargoed: 11th June 2010 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Germany
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes,Nature / Environment
- Reuters ID: LVA87KH3B6NZ9YCKJB7G3T04RX1A
- Story Text: Water levels along eastern Germany's river Oder rose quicker than expected on Wednesday (May 26) as residents and local officials braced themselves for floods arriving from Poland across the water.
While the level of the Oder stood at 5.77 metres on Wednesday afternoon and town officials set up metal barriers, the mark was at 5.02 metres only some 24 hours earlier.
According to officials, alarm level four will be declared once the Oder level reaches a height of 5.9 metres.
In neighbouring Poland, floods have burst riverbanks and submerged homes, bringing the death toll to 16 since the middle of May, Polish media reported.
One passerby in the small town of Ratzdorf on the German side of the border was not worried.
"They are counting on the peak of the floods arriving here on Thursday or Friday and I don't think we will get our feet wet," said Gerhard Feige as other people watched the water from behind metal barriers being set up by town officials.
Resident Simone Neumaier said "the big question is whether the dams will resist or not."
"They wre all rebuilt in the years that we had the floods. But we are anxious. Let's see and hope that everything resists the water," Neumaier said.
Metal barriers currently being set up can resist water levels of up to 6 metres.
In 1997, large parts along the Oder river were flooded after which the German government invested millions of euros to reinforce the dams. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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