Flood disaster in Kleinblittersdorf: Brave rescuers in action!

Flood disaster in Kleinblittersdorf: Brave rescuers in action!

On Pentecost weekend in 2024, Kleinblittersdorf in Saarland was hit by violent heavy rain and floods, which led to dramatic situations for the residents. In a short time, the water flooded the passage through the town and the necessary rescue campaigns with boats were used to secure people. Fortunately, there were no injuries, but around 60 households were affected by the floods and the municipal damage amounted to around 200,000 euros. "The memories of the natural disaster a year ago are still present," report local politicians and residents.

A year ago, during a similar flood, a visit from Chancellor Olaf Scholz took place in the community to help the residents. The year 2023 was the warmest since 1881 with an average temperature of 10.6 degrees, an indication that extreme weather events are increasing, which the local authorities challenged. Resident Hermann Mohr remembers a meter of water in his basement, which also badly damaged the heating system.

preventive measures and support

The municipality of Kleinblittersdorf took the first measures after the heavy rain in 2018 to improve the provision. A developed concept includes attached roadside areas as well as laid -out trenches and retention basins in the forest to better derive the amounts of water. Now an expansion of the rain retention basin in Bliesransbach is being sought, which, however, depends on nature conservation permits.

Mayor Rainer Lang (SPD) and employee Silke Martin emphasize the current increased willingness to alert. They are satisfied with the support of the state government, which promised to take over 90% of the damage. Each affected household also received an immediate aid of 1,000 euros. A logistics vehicle for evacuation was provided to be prepared for future emergencies. "The support is important, regardless of the source" expresses long.

climate change and flood protection

The challenges in Kleinblittersdorf are part of a major problem caused by climate change. Scientists find that severe rainfalls have become more intense worldwide since the 1950s. According to the German Weather Service, higher top drains and shortened reception intervals for flood events can be expected. The most recent events in other European countries, such as the massive floods in Spain, also demonstrate the urgency of flood protection measures.

In order to reduce this threat, various measures were taken, including natural renaturation and the development of a national flood protection program that was launched in 2013. Nevertheless, there are challenges: Projects are often only promoted for a limited period, and the complexity of the political framework makes it difficult to implement the necessary laws to improve flood protection.

In a time when extreme weather events increase, it remains essential that cities like Kleinblittersdorf not only rely on past experiences, but are actively working on improving their protective measures. This is the only way to guarantee the security of citizens in a changing climatic landscape.

For more information on flood prevention, please visit the website of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Security: BMU . In addition, a comprehensive analysis of the global flood events and its connection with climate change on Deutschlandfunk interesting insights.