Germany hit by worst flooding in memory
Print Edition
The German government yesterday pledged to improve the country’s under-fire warning systems as emergency services continued to search for victims of the worst flooding in living memory, with at least 190 people confirmed dead.
The west of the country was deluged over two days last week, sending torrents of water rushing down streets, sweeping away trees, cars and bridges and destroying swathes of housing.
At least 31 people also died in Belgium in the floods, and later torrential rain caused havoc in southern Germany and several neighboring countries.
Many victims in Germany were found dead in sodden cellars after attempting to retrieve valuables, while others were swept away by the sheer force of the water.
A total of 117 people are now confirmed to have died in Rhineland-Palatinate state, with 47 victims in neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia and one in Bavaria.
Government spokeswoman Martina Fietz said the national warning system and mobile phone app Nina had “worked” but admitted that “our experiences with this disaster show that we need to do more and better.”
Armin Schuster, president of the government’s civil protection agency, called for sirens to be reinstated as part of the country’s disaster warnings system.
Although meteorological services had forecast torrential rain and flash floods, many residents said they were caught off-guard by rapidly rising waters.
The floods caused sweeping power cuts and knocked down telecommunication antennas, preventing residents from receiving warnings in time.
Under Germany’s federal system, it is up to the 16 states to organize responses to flood alerts and coordinate efforts with the civil protection office and the fire brigade.
Annalena Baerbock, the Green party candidate to replace Angela Merkel as chancellor after elections on September 26, called for a more centralized approach.
“In my view, the federal government must play a much stronger coordinating role,” she said.
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