Current levels: Baltic Sea flood threatens coastal towns!

Current levels: Baltic Sea flood threatens coastal towns!

Rostock, Deutschland - on July 13, 2025 it appears as if the Baltic Sea can sometimes make the residents a pleasant surprise, but sometimes worries. On this day, the water levels of various measuring stations in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania provide a comprehensive overview of the water conditions and the associated challenges. In the past few days, the Baltic Sea has been struggling with the water levels Ostsee-Zeitung.

The situation in Wismar, Warnemünde, Althagen, Barth, Stralsund, Sassnitz and Greifswald has kept the authorities busy. The values rank widely with the water levels. For example, the measuring station in Zingst shows a water level of 548 cm, while Bodstedt is only minimally higher with 550 cm. Ralswiek also moves at 542 cm at similar heights. An overview of the current levels also finds that the measuring station in Güstrow specifies the water at 70 cm, which means an increase of 16 cm to the middle water, while Anklam has a negative value of -30.05 m³/s.

flood and storm surge classes

As summer progresses, the flood events are not only monitored by the water levels, but also classified by the storm surge classes. According to the guidelines, storm floods are divided into different classes: the lightest storm surge begins at 1.00 m above the middle water level. Particularly noteworthy is the last serious storm surge in October, which was noticeable with 56 million euros in damage, with the city of Sassnitz reporting a financial requirement of around 42 million euros for restoring the infrastructure.

warning system and reactions to floods

In order to protect the population in such extreme cases, warning systems are essential. Warnings are usually received by flood centers, the support of the federal government, countries, circles, police and fire brigade. The warning channels are diverse: they range from radio and television to loudspeaker cars or sirens to warning apps and social media. These systems are particularly important to inform the population in good time and to point out possible flood risks.

The effects of climate change are becoming increasingly evident. According to Federal Environment Agency, there are to note that flood events often occur irregularly and not only affect a certain flow. The number of flood days varies from year to year, and individual flood events cannot be attributed directly to climate change. Nevertheless, there is the possibility that climate change will increase the potential for heavy rain.

For the citizens near the coast, monitoring the water levels remains an important topic. The variety of levels and the associated measures are central points in the discussion about dealing with floods and storm surges in Germany.