Title: For heavy rain: Flood app causes confusion in Odendorf

The flood app creates confusion in Swisttal and the surrounding area

The new flood app of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia raises many questions in the Swisttal region and also many questions. Users report surprising and partly alarming water level ads, which in several cases do not match the real conditions. Despite the high expectation to the app developed as part of the flood protection, it can be seen that the calculations are not very understandable for some residents.

fears arise, especially in areas that were already affected by the flood disaster in 2021. The app predicts water levels that appear unrealistic in some cases, such as knee -high or hip -high water, although the local flood specialist Thorsten Krause notes that the underlying data is partially outdated and come from a time before the last major flood. This leads to confusion in public, which is dependent on current and accurate information.

According to the ministry, the app describes rainwater quantities based on roof surfaces without adequately taking into account the actual drainage conditions or the location of the land. Experts criticize that the app, which originally comes from the Emscher-Lippe region, has not been developed equally for all municipalities and therefore hardly represents a reliable warning in its current form. The frustration of the residents about incorrect forecasts is understandable, especially in such sensitive topics as flooding.

Although there are current maps and detailed water levels in the region, the data of the app is essentially based on older models. This is not well received because many citizens rely on a reliable source of information, especially against the background of the increasing extreme weather events, which are favored by climate change. The ministries have emphasized that the app should provide valuable support, but the current defects in the system urgently need to be addressed in order to regain the trust of the citizens.

It is also important to mention that the app is intended as a tool, but it should not serve as the sole source of information for flooding. Correct classification of the data and constant updates are essential to give reliable information and to actually minimize the risk of citizens in North Rhine-Westphalia.