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Detect heavy rain early: New warning system for the Hochtaunuskreis!
The Hochtaunuskreis is initiating an early warning system for heavy rain together with the Wetterau and Main-Kinzig districts to protect citizens.
Detect heavy rain early: New warning system for the Hochtaunuskreis!
The Hochtaunus district is getting serious: a joint early warning system against heavy rain is soon to be launched in cooperation with the Wetterau district and the Main-Kinzig district. As the Frankfurter Neue Presse reports, the head of the water and soil protection department, Thomas Golla, presented the plans to the planning, transport and environment committee. The entire project is not only ambitious, but also well financed: around 2.7 million euros are being invested in the development of a “heavy rain early warning system”, with 90 percent of this sum being covered by the state of Hesse.
The system is intended to alert not only the population, but also administrations and fire departments at an early stage in the event of heavy rain. Meteorological data, sensor data and hydrodynamic model forecasts are combined. This innovative approach is based on the successful experiences of a pilot project in the Fulda district. The introduction of a comprehensive sensor network is planned to monitor rain events and water levels in bodies of water. A cloud-based solution enables automated alerts, which can be crucial in an emergency.
A look at the technical details
In addition, soil moisture is measured in order to identify potential dangers at an early stage and display them in so-called hotspot maps. These maps are essential for planning and implementing measures during heavy rain events. Inter-municipal cooperation is becoming increasingly important these days in order to actively meet the challenges of climate change.
There are different opinions on this project among political representatives. While the CDU politician Holger Bellino and coalition spokesman Norbert Fischer consider the system to be important for civil protection, the AfD spokesman Paul Mützer expresses concerns about the usefulness of the measure. Patricia Peveling from the Greens, on the other hand, sees inter-municipal cooperation as a valuable opportunity to strengthen the region and would also be happy to include the Main-Taunus district.
An important step for the future
Overall, the project is a clear step in the right direction to protect the population from the increasingly frequent heavy rain events. The Hochtaunuskreis, the Wetteraukreis and the Main-Kinzig-Kreis have recognized that a coordinated response to the challenges of climate change is necessary. How this will actually play out remains to be seen, but the preparations show that the security of citizens is being worked on with a good hand and a lot of commitment.