On Christmas Day heavy rains and saturated ground forced residents in parts of Germany to evacuate their homes, leading to widespread flooding and elevated water levels, particularly in the regions of Thuringia and Lower Saxony.
Videos from the village of Windehausen in Thuringia showed homes, fields, and streets submerged in floodwaters, prompting displaced individuals to seek shelter in emergency facilities. Bodo Ramelow, the governor of Thuringia, cautioned that it might take several days before people could safely return home, emphasizing the need to pump out cellars, restore electricity, and reconnect to the sewage system.
In the city of Oberhausen in western Germany, firefighters and officials from the Federal Agency for Technical Relief worked diligently to reinforce a dike along the river Ruhr using sandbags, aiming to prevent flooding caused by the rising water levels. On Christmas Day
On Tuesday, firefighters and volunteers continued efforts to reinforce dikes against rising floodwaters in northern and eastern Germany. In eastern Belgium, heavy rains had swollen rivers, prompting warnings for the Our River, which marks the border with Germany, and its tributaries. Additionally, several flood plains in the eastern Netherlands were submerged on Tuesday.
In Czechia, certain regions continued to grapple with flooding, with some areas on high alert and an anticipation of rising water levels throughout the country. Local authorities attributed the phenomenon to rainfall and melting ice. In Prague, ferry services were disrupted, and access to embankments was restricted due to the prevailing conditions.