Storm Surge and Potential Flooding Along the Baltic Sea Coast

The Federal Maritime and Hydrographic Agency (BSH) has issued a cautionary alert regarding the possibility of flooding due to an anticipated storm surge along the German Baltic Sea coast. Nevertheless, the projections are lower than the values recorded during recent Baltic Sea floods earlier this year and last autumn.

Anticipated for Sunday, water levels are projected to reach up to 1.10 meters above the mean water level in the Bay of Lübeck. The Bay of Kiel is expected to experience a water level of 1 meter, while Flensburg may see levels up to 1.10 meters above the average water level. Along the coast of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, water levels of up to 90 centimeters above the mean water level are expected.

As of Sunday morning, measurements indicated approximately 1.05 meters above the mean water level in Flensburg, 1 meter in Kiel-Holtenau, and 0.95 meters in Wismar. In response to the potential risk, the city of Wismar had already urged citizens to relocate their cars from areas prone to flooding.

The mean water level, representing the average of water levels measured over a specific period, serves as an indicator of the normal water level.

The State Office for Agriculture and the Environment (Stalu) in the Mecklenburg Lake District has issued a warning of potential flooding in the Peene area resulting from backwater from the coast.

Over the weekend, measurements in Anklam surpassed 585 centimeters, with 580 centimeters typically considered the reference water level for alert level 1. However, as reported by Stalu on Sunday, this alert level was not declared due to the expected decrease in water levels.