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WEATHER

‘We have to keep going’: German spa town begins mammoth flood clean-up effort

In the normally scenic German spa town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, stricken residents were scraping muddy water from streets piled high with debris on Saturday as they began to face the aftermath of the worst flooding in decades.

'We have to keep going': German spa town begins mammoth flood clean-up effort
Locals dissolve the mud with water to remove it with a pump, on Saturday in a building in Insul near Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, western Germany. Photo: CHRISTOF STACHE / AFP

“I haven’t slept for two days,” said Michael Kossytorz, 40, standing by a pile of rubble outside his apartment.

 For my parents it’s even worse because they lived closer to the river. But we have to keep going,” he said.

Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler in the volcanic Eifel region is among the areas hardest hit by severe storms that have killed at least 140 people in western Germany since late Wednesday.

Torrents of water were sent rushing down the streets, sweeping away cars, sheds, trees and more.

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‘We need help’

The pavements were littered with broken furniture, while residents wandered the streets in rubber boots and mud-stained clothes, determined to make a start on the enormous clean-up job.

From a fast food restaurant with nothing left but bottles of alcohol behind the bar to a car dealership reduced to a muddy carpet, the town destroyed so quickly will take months or even years to repair.

The town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler on Saturday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Philipp von Ditfurth

As well as the electricity, which will be cut off for several more days, and the almost non-existent telephone network — complicating the search for those still missing – the gas pipes have been destroyed and will not be repaired before Christmas.

“The day after the flood we started to clean up, but it didn’t work because at first the water level was still very high and we were still in shock,” said Gregor Degen, a baker who has lived in the town all his life.

But then “I gathered the people from my apartment block, we got together, coordinated and it worked very well. I am extremely grateful to everyone for the help,” he said.

“Every death affects me personally because I can imagine, when people are found in their cellars… I can’t help but sympathise.”

For the town of 30,000 people, famed for its thermal baths and wellness tourism, the flood impact is likely to leave deep financial scars.

“The whole town is threatened if we don’t get help,” said Ellen Aust, 58, the manager of a spa hotel along the banks of the river Ahr.

“We had only just reopened after months of closure because of corona,” Aust said, sitting at a table outside the hotel with a colleague.

“We normally have a lot of regular guests at the hotel, including from abroad. We need help to keep going, the whole season is ruined.”

By Marion PAYET and Jean-Philippe LACOUR       

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WEATHER

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

The moment many people around Germany have been waiting for is almost here: as of Thursday, temperatures are expected to crack the 20C mark and stay warm through the start of spring.

Spring to arrive in Germany with temperatures of up to 21C

Whether it’s the pink cherry blossom trees which have started to bloom, lighter evenings or people walking around with ice cream cones, the signs of springs have already started to show around Germany in March.

Now the weather is also catching up: following rain storms on Wednesday, the mercury is expected to reach at least 20C in many parts of the Bundesrepublik on Thursday. 

READ ALSO: Seven signs that Spring has arrived in Germany

First there’s some damper news: On Wednesday, Germany – in particular the southwest – is expected to be hit by the storms. In the Black Forest, 30 to 40 litres per square metre will fall by midday, according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

In the Alps, light snowfall will set in above 1,000 to 1,200 metres, with fresh snowfall of around five centimetres expected. 

The rain will ease by the following morning, but it will remain cloudy.

Up to 21C on Thursday

On Thursday, after the morning the fog disappears, people can look forward to a sunny and dry day – especially in the south and western parts of Germany. 

Temperatures will rise to a pleasant 14 to 21C degrees, with the highest values on the Upper Rhine. 

In mountainous areas and by the sea, it will remain somewhat cooler at 10C to 14C. 

Friday will be characterised by changeable weather: there will be sunny spells as well as rain showers, which will spread from the west and may be heavy in places – including thunderstorms. 

Temperatures will be between 14C and 18C degrees, and in the Lausitz region in eastern Germany it could even reach a warm 20 degrees.

Warmer weeks

While this Sunday could still see some single digit temperatures in northern parts of Germany – such as 9C in Berlin and Hamburg – the coming week is set to experience continually warmer weather, remaining at 14C and higher. 

The first day of spring officially begins this year with the Spring Equinox on March 19th. The days will become even lighter in Germany after Daylight Savings Time, which this year takes place in the early hours of Easter Sunday, or March 31st.

READ ALSO: Everything that changes in Germany in March 2024

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