GERMANY: THE ELBE RIVER HAS RISEN LESS THAN EXPECTED IN MAGDEBURG SPARING THE EASTERN GERMANY CITY FROM FLOOD WAVE

Record ID: 649096

  • Title: GERMANY: THE ELBE RIVER HAS RISEN LESS THAN EXPECTED IN MAGDEBURG SPARING THE EASTERN GERMANY CITY FROM FLOOD WAVE
  • Date: 20th August 2002
  • Summary: (W4) MAGDEBURG, GERMANY (AUGUST 20, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. LV ELBE RIVER RUNNING THROUGH CITY 0.05 2. LV OF SANDBAG DEFENCES 0.11 3. LV OF CITY AND WATER LEVEL MARK (2 SHOTS) 0.19 4. CU OF WATER LEVEL AT 6.66 METRES 0.25 5. MCU (German) HUBERT KOHN, MAGDEBURG RESIDENT SAYING: "For me and my family it was a small catastrophe. I grew up here on the Elbe and have seen a few floods but this one was bad. Thank God the water level is going down." 0.41 6. MCU (German) HOLGER VOELLMER, MAGDEBURG RESIDENT SAYING: "I did not sleep as well as usual because no one knew how much the water would rise. But as it turned out we had more time than others. Dresden for example was caught by surprise whereas we escaped the worst." 0.57 7. MCU (German) EDELTRAUD KLOMBECK, MAGDEBURG RESIDENT SAYING: "I am somewhat relieved but I am also very sad for all the people who are affected now that we were in the middle of reconstruction (of eastern Germany following German reunification in 1990). We just had the worst behind it and people were starting to feel happy -- and now this. Its very, very sad." 1.18 8. CU WATER OF ELBE RIVER FLOWING PAST 1.21 9. SLV LITTLE BOY AND WOMAN WITH PUSHCHAIR WALKING PAST SANDBAGS 1.34 10. SV WATER FLOWING PAST NEAR STEPS ON ELBE RIVER 1.39 11. LAS OF RAILWAY BRIDGE 1.43 12. CU OF SANDBAGS UNDER BRIDGE 1.47 13. SLV PILE OF SANDBAGS UNDERNEATH BRIDGE PUT UP AFTER A DAM BEHIND THE BRIDGE BROKE 1.51 14. LGV OF CITY WITH ELBE 1.55 15. PAN FROM SANDBAGS TO APARTMENT BLOCKS 2.07 (W4) HEYROTHSBERGE, GERMANY (AUGUST 20, 2002) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 16. PAN ACROSS BRIDGE TO BULLDOZERS 2.17 17. CU OF BROKEN DAM 2.21 18. LV RESCUE BOAT BEING LIFTED FROM WATER NEAR WHERE DAM BROKE 2.31 19. LV/SLV OF FLOODED HOME AFTER DAM NEARBY BROKE (2 SHOTS) 2.38 20. PAN ACROSS FLOODED FIELD 2.48 21. SLV/CU FLOODED ALLOTMENTS WITH UNDERWATER SUNFLOWERS TOMATOES (2 SHOTS) 2.55 22. SLV GARDEN SHED IN ALLOTMENT WITH CHAIRS SUBMERGED IN WATER 2.59 23. CU BARBECUE STANDING IN WATER 3.03 24. SV/CU FLOODED GARDEN AND PILLOW FLOATING IN WATER (2 SHOTS) 3.11 25. LV OF TWO FLOODED, EVACUATED HOMES 3.16 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 4th September 2002 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MAGDEBURG & HEYROTHSBERGE, GERMANY
  • Country: Germany
  • Reuters ID: LVAAGZRKA0WP0PXI536EOABD8Q76
  • Story Text: The Elbe river has risen less than expected in
    Magdeburg sparing the eastern Germany city from a feared flood
    wave which has caused death and destruction in central Europe.



    After Magdeburg, there are no major cities along the
    Elbe until Hamburg, but smaller towns such as Heyrothsberge
    northeast of Magdeburg were flooded on Tuesday (August 20)
    after more dams broke.

    Magdeburg resident Hubert Kohn said, "For me and my family
    it was a small catastrophe. I grew up here on the Elbe and
    have seen a few floods but this one was bad. Thank God
    the water level is going down."
    Holger Voellmer said "I did not sleep as well as usual
    because no one knew how much the water would rise. But as
    it turned out we had more time than others. Dresden for
    example was caught by surprise whereas we escaped the worst."
    And an older Magdeburg resident expressed sadness for what
    flood victims are having to go through.

    "I am very sad for all the people who are affected now
    that we were in the middle of reconstruction" (of eastern
    Germany following German reunification in 1990), Edeltraud
    Klombeck told Reuters Television.

    "We just had the worst behind it and people were starting
    to feel happy -- and now this. Its very, very sad," Klombeck
    said, standing on the banks of the Elbe river.

    According to authorities across northern Germany, they
    were ready for the Elbe flood wave that ravaged upstream towns
    and villages in eastern Germany last week and swamped
    historical buildings in Dresden.



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