Heroic deeds in floods: Salzgitter honors 461 rescuers of the year!

Heroic deeds in floods: Salzgitter honors 461 rescuers of the year!

In June 2023, the region experienced a wave of solidarity when Mayor Frank Klingebiel awarded 461 volunteer service providers from volunteer fire departments and aid organizations in Salzgitter-Lebenstedt with flood badges of honor from the state of Lower Saxony. Klingebiel praised the courageous efforts of these women and men, who quickly and efficiently took flood protection measures to protect the population in a dramatic emergency situation.[ Salzgitter.de ] This operation took place at the city's main fire station and demonstrated the trust the community has in its emergency services.

As another report shows, flooding is now much more than just a regional problem. According to an analysis, floods are the most common natural disasters worldwide, accounting for nearly 37 percent of all natural disasters since 2000.[ Statista ] This development has also presented the emergency services with enormous challenges. While they were still required for flood protection in June 2023, the effects of such weather events are already evident again in the Christmas flood of 2023/2024, which once again highlighted the dangers of heavy rain. Fire department head Eric Neiseke also emphasized that the units are well positioned to provide quick and effective assistance in future emergency situations.

The reality of flood times

But what does the future hold? More and more citizens are having to adjust to the reality that precipitation that was once considered normal can increasingly lead to flooding. A warmer atmosphere can hold more water, resulting in increased rainfall and more frequent heavy rain events. The area along the Rhine is particularly affected, where 400,000 people are at risk of flooding in the coming years.[ Statista ] The destruction of natural floodplains and the sealing of many areas also mean that water can no longer drain away quickly enough.

An impressive example of this is the flood disaster of 2021, in which extreme rainfall hit Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia between July 12th and 19th. Meteorologists recorded over 240 liters of rain per square meter on July 14th - an amount that should normally be less than 100 liters in the river regions throughout July. The damage caused by these events exceeded all previous flood events and led to a recovery fund of 30 billion euros in September 2021 to help the affected regions. But reconstruction is stalling, among other things because of bureaucratic hurdles.[ Statista ] This raises the question of whether we have learned from the past or whether the dangers of flooding continue to be ignored.

A look into the future

The flood events clearly show the vulnerability of our society to extreme weather conditions. A firm plan for expanding flood protection and taking into account natural retention areas are more urgent than ever. “We have to have a good hand and minimize the risks with natural flood protection,” demanded Eric Neiseke.[ Salzgitter.de ] If we respect nature and take appropriate measures, we have the chance to reduce the dangers of flooding, so that in the future volunteers will have to be on standby, but will be called out less often to deal with serious damage.

The community's focus should be on strengthening protective measures so that emergency services remain efficient and prepared for all eventualities in the future.