Freital is investing 3 million euros in flood protection in the Weißeritz!

Freital is investing 3 million euros in flood protection in the Weißeritz!

In Freital, there is a lot of investment in flood protection. A total of three million euros are currently being invested in measures to protect the city from possible flood events. This is particularly relevant in the context of the devastating flood of 2002, which caused extensive damage and had devastating consequences for the city and the region. According to Sächsische.de, the Weißeritz currently has a low water level, which is beneficial for construction work in the riverbed. This condition is used to take effective protective measures.

The flood protection concepts were developed after the flood of the century, which in August 2002 caused a lot of suffering and great damage to five thousand and millions of people in Dresden and the surrounding area due to heavy rain in the Czech Republic and subsequent rising water levels. Flooded areas and evacuations reminded people of the importance of flood prevention measures. The Stadtwiki DD documents the dramatic water levels of the Elbe, which rose to 9.40 meters during this flood, which led to a disaster alarm and caused billions of dollars in damage.

Planned measures

A total of 14 flood protection measures are planned in Freital, divided into various projects on the Weißeritzen. As Sächsische.de reports, all but two of the projects have already been implemented. A current example is the work on the river bank between the Burgker Straße bridge and August-Bebel-Straße, where a new flood protection wall was built. An old bank wall between the Vorholzbach and the paper factory in Hainsberg will also be renewed and raised. These measures aim to minimize the impact of future flood events.

What is particularly noteworthy is that flood protection also takes wildlife into account. Fish shelters and nesting niches for dippers will be created to promote biodiversity in the affected areas. In the meantime, the old mill race remains as the paper mill needs this water for production. As with flood risk management as a whole, cooperation between water management, nature conservation and disaster control is an important part of the premise of preventing damage caused by floods. According to the Federal Environment Agency, complete protection against flooding is not possible, but those responsible are still trying to take preventative measures.

Future outlook

Although the construction work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2025, the construction roads will not be removed until May 2026. Lidnerstrasse therefore remains an issue. Fast and effective flood risk management is essential in times of climate change. In Freital, too, it is important to raise awareness of the possible risks and consistently pursue the necessary measures.