Flooding in Lower Bavaria: Major operation at Deggendorf harbor

• The Deggendorf fire department conducted a controlled flooding of part of the Deggendorf port to counteract rising groundwater pressure.

• Authorities used clean groundwater to flood a 20,000 square meter area to create counter-pressure and stabilize the site.

• Preparations included distributing 27,000 sandbags and weighting 40 manhole covers with gravel-filled big bags.

• A fire in a transformer at the Winzer pump plant was quickly extinguished, allowing pumps to resume operation.

• District Administrator Bernd Sibler praised the cooperation between aid organizations and authorities in preventing regional damage.

• Sennebogen supported the operation by providing a telehandler with a 4-ton lifting capacity.

In an extensive operation by the Deggendorf fire department at the beginning of June, part of the Deggendorf port was flooded in a controlled manner to prevent imminent damage from groundwater pressure. The rising level of the Danube and persistent rainfall had led to a significant rise in the groundwater level, which endangered the port area.

Measures to prevent damage

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In order to compensate for the depressed groundwater level and prevent major damage, the authorities and emergency services decided to flood part of the port area with clean groundwater. This measure was intended to create counter-pressure and thus ensure the stability of the site. In contrast to the flood disaster in 2013, when the entire site was flooded, this time only a separate area of around 20,000 square meters was flooded by 15 to 20 centimetres.

Preparations and implementation

The extensive preparations, which lasted into the evening hours, included the distribution of 27,000 sandbags and the weighting of 40 manhole covers with gravel-filled big bags over a length of 550 meters. On the other hand, the surrounding building yards and companies in the port area, which provided forklifts and loaders, provided a great deal of support. Once the preparations were complete, the secured area was flooded with groundwater. For safety reasons, the access road to the port of Deggenau was closed to traffic.

On Tuesday evening, a fire in a transformer at the pump plant in Winzer also called on the emergency services. The fire was quickly extinguished and the pumps were put back into operation.

District Administrator Bernd Sibler praised the efficient cooperation between the various aid organizations and authorities, which had successfully helped to prevent damage to the region. "The measures in Winzer and at the port impressively show how our people from the aid organizations, water management and all other authorities involved work hand in hand to prevent damage to our region," said Sibler.

Safety for the population

The Deggendorf District Office emphasized that there was no danger to the population and that the dykes in the district were stable. The precautionary measures were limited exclusively to the port's premises. Sennebogen supported the measures at short notice by providing a powerful telehandler with a lifting capacity of 4 tons. The operation itself lasted two to three days.