Against the flood: Königsdorf implements selective measures

Created: 05/18/2022, 12:00 p.m

By: Peter Borchers

Flash flood: In the cellar of the Weinbuchner family farm (in the background) the cloudy broth was two meters high.

© sh/Archive

In order to avoid catastrophes like last year, Königsdorf has started with selective flood measures.

The overall concept takes time.

Königsdorf

– The warm and humid season has not really started yet, when the first thunderstorms with heavy rain in Bavaria have already caused flooding.

Tragic: In the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, a man drowned in the driver's cab of his truck last Thursday when up to 40 liters of rain per square meter flooded an underpass within an hour.

In 2021 supercells discharged over Königsdorf

So-called supercells had discharged over Königsdorf in the previous two years.

Districts were under water, avalanches of hailstones poured into basements.

You can hear Rainer Kopnicky feeling uneasy when you ask him about the upcoming storm season.

"I hope," says the mayor almost pleadingly, "we will be spared this year."

The topography makes planning difficult

He doesn't have much more than hope at the moment.

An overall concept for flood protection for Königsdorf with all its hills and valleys cannot be implemented as quickly as the head of the CSU town hall and his local council would like.

Something like this takes a lot of time and brain power, the structural implementation a lot of money.

Money the community doesn't have.

The financial situation is currently tense.

To make matters worse, the state does not subsidize the construction of municipal flood defenses.

Kopnicky harbors his "doubts as to whether he ever will."

There are only grants for the planning costs, “if we meticulously comply with all the specifications of the water management office.

But then not a single stone has been turned.”

The focal point is the Osterhofener Straße

In the Königsdorf town hall, attempts are now being made to “create selective improvements”.

In concrete terms, it looks like this: At Osteranger, exit Alpenblickweg in Osterhofener Straße, and in Osterhofener Straße itself, the municipality will build four larger intake shafts in the coming weeks.

However, according to Kopnicky, "further investigations are necessary" in view of the big picture.

Victims of the flood doubt the success of the measure

Georg Weinbuchner lives on Osterhofener Strasse.

Last July, in the basement of his farm, located in a depression, the cloudy broth was around two meters high.

The financial damage ran into the tens of thousands.

"We're just doing the final touches, then the basement will be renovated," says the 58-year-old.

A few days ago, the municipal administration informed him and other affected people about the planned first measures at a meeting.

Weinbuchner doubts their usefulness: "From the two new gullies in front of my courtyard entrance, the water will run into a 600 pipe", which, however, ends in a hairpin bend in a 400 pipe.

"And it absorbs a third less water than a pipe with a diameter of 600 millimeters.

I don't have to be a hydrologist to recognize that there will be a backwater there.

The Königsdorfer knows about the strained municipal coffers.

"I'm the last one who demands and demands." Only the now planned work "would also cost a lot of money".

But he fears: "They will fizzle out."

Current news from Königsdorf can be found here

Rainer Kopnicky knows about the problem of the differently dimensioned pipes in his community, but cannot offer a quick solution.

Apart from the immense costs: "In order to improve our pipe system as a whole, we also have to go through a lot of private property.

Negotiations are necessary for this.” The mayor shows understanding for the concerns that residents still have.

"Everyone affected wants more and more" - especially when they fear for their belongings.

Kopnicky also praises those affected: Despite all the emotions involved, the talks took place in a "factual atmosphere".

"Just like I said: We have to see what measures we start with, how we continue in the sense of a reasonable overall concept and how we can handle all of this financially."

Unfortunately, there is no such thing as 100% security

In general, the mayor warns against believing that nothing can happen even if flood protection is completely implemented.

A pipe system designed for a three-year flood is currently required by law, "we want to increase that".

However, if another hailstorm of this magnitude hits the community, even a well-maintained inlet and pipe system will eventually reach its limits.

"Unfortunately, you will never achieve 100 percent security." The head of the town hall therefore appeals to every homeowner, in addition to the precautions of the municipality - "based on the respective situation on site - to consider what they can do to protect themselves".

The Weinbuchners did it: they had watertight cellar shafts installed for 20,000 euros.

Nevertheless, the fear remains: "We can't travel with a clear conscience without someone staying at home," says the host.

And: "Something like this mustn't happen again, that's as clear as day."

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