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Flood nightmare: Baltic Sea water levels endanger our coasts!
The article provides insights into the current water levels of the Baltic Sea in Sassnitz, including storm surge warnings and financial damage.
Flood nightmare: Baltic Sea water levels endanger our coasts!
On July 9, 2025, the flooding on the Baltic Sea coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania remains an explosive issue. How Baltic Sea newspaper reports, a current look at the water levels in cities such as Wismar, Warnemünde, Althagen, Barth, Stralsund, Sassnitz and Greifswald makes you sit up and take notice. The values in Warnemünde in particular are remarkable and show the complexity of these natural events.
Monitoring such water levels is crucial. In Warnemünde, the mean water level (MW) was 507 cm over the period from 2010 to 2020. The mean low water (MNW) values were 407 cm, while the mean high water (MHW) was recorded at 617 cm. By historical standards, the highest water level of 770 cm, recorded on November 13, 1872, is a sobering reminder of the dangers associated with storm surges.
Storm surge classes and their effects
The classification of storm surges is an important measure for assessing the risk. Storm surges are divided into four classes: a storm surge is between 1.00 and 1.25 m above the mean water level, while a very severe storm surge reaches over 2.00 m. According to current reports, there have been a total of 16 storm surges on the German North Sea coast in the last two seasons, with 13 of them occurring in the 2023/2024 season. Three storm surges have already been recorded in the 2024/2025 season, but their water levels are well below the extreme values.
Weather conditions with strong westerly winds, especially on the North Sea coast, or strong northerly winds in Lower Saxony have proven to be particularly dangerous. These weather conditions cause large amounts of water to be pushed against the coast, which can trigger a storm surge. Historically, the storm surge of February 16, 1962 in Hamburg is one of the most devastating events of the last 100 years, followed by significant storm surges in 1976, 1981, 1999 and 2013.
Preparing for floods and financial stress
Preventive measures are a high priority in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, especially after the last severe storm surge in October 2023 caused damage amounting to 56 million euros. The city of Sassnitz in particular is taking on the challenge of mobilizing around 42 million euros to restore the infrastructure. The damage primarily affects the tourist infrastructure, harbor protection systems and coastal protection through artificial sand replenishment.
If flooding is imminent, various warning channels are available: from radio and television to sirens to modern warning apps and digital billboards. The various institutions, including federal, state and police, work closely together to inform the population in a timely manner.
It remains to be seen how the coming weather conditions will develop and whether we will have to expect increased water levels again. Like that Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency notes, climate change could increase baseline storm surge levels, which could destabilize future events. In view of the changes in the climate and the local interventions in coastal protection measures as well as the natural dynamics of the coastal areas, the natural spatial conditions remain of great importance for the safety of the population.
The challenges are great, but with clever preparation and comprehensive communication, you can respond to the whims of the Baltic Sea in a prepared manner.