On Saturday, May 22, the city of Görlitz held a large flood protection exercise with the local professional fire department, where the main goal was to test the installation of just over 400 meters of the new flood protection system from Haawal. During the exercise, they received help from both THW (Technisches Hilfswerk) and the Red Cross, demonstrating how well-organized the city is in crisis situations like floods.
In 2020, the city of Görlitz purchased 830 meters of temporary flood protection to strengthen its flood preparedness, after the city had been hit by floods several times in the past. Finally, the time had come for a large-scale exercise to test the new system, after the pandemic had delayed it for a longer period.
The firefighters from Görlitz needed only a few minutes of training before they started setting up the flood barrier.
One of the reasons the installation goes so quickly is that no tools are needed.
The area in Görlitz most vulnerable to flooding is a stretch of about 400 meters along the river in the city center. Back in 2010, the city suffered significant damage after a severe flood, which was one of the main reasons the city wants to improve its flood preparedness.
A THW employee is rolling out the membrane over the Haawal modules.
Haawal flood barrier installed along the Neiße River in Görlitz.
Saechsische.de is one of the newspapers that has written an article about the exercise, with several images that can be viewed here: https://www.saechsische.de/lokales/goerlitz-lk/schneller-schutz-wenn-die-neisse-aus-ihrem-bett-kommt-MUVV3HCIKDGKFKZON7MAIO2SXU.html
One of the reasons Görlitz purchased flood barriers from Haawal is that they also face challenges with forest fires, and therefore need a water storage basin. The flexible modules from Haawal can be easily and quickly configured into a basin of the desired size, depending on the need.
The Haawal system was installed as a pool for temporary water storage.
Haawal flood protection installed in front of the beautiful old town of Görlitz.
The former chief of Görlitz's professional fire department, Uwe Restetzki, was very pleased with how the exercise went, stating, "The plan was to get it done within four hours (...), and we achieved that."