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WEATHER

Politicians debate ‘€30 billion’ fund to rebuild German flood zones

German politicians will discuss a potential €30 billion relief fund to for the reconstruction of flood-hit areas at a meeting between Angela Merkel and the state leaders on Tuesday.

Published: 10 August 2021 11:21 CEST
Politicians debate '€30 billion' fund to rebuild German flood zones
Part of Bundestraße in Altenahr was completely swept away by the floods and will have to be rebuilt. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Thomas Frey

Mammoth construction projects in areas ravaged by July’s floods would financed half by the federal government and half by the states, according to a government paper obtained by DPA. 

Though the exact sums are likely to be thrashed out at Tuesday’s meeting between Merkel and the state premiers, a ballpark figure of €30 billion has so far been put on the table.

Now a rapid parliamentary resolution from the Bundestag and Bundesrat is urgently needed, North Rhine-Westphalia state premier and chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) said on Monday.

READ ALSO: Frontrunner to succeed Merkel calls for up to €30 billion to rebuild flood-hit German towns

Malu Dreyer, who serves as the state premier in flood-bit Rhineland-Palatinate, agreed. 

The Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician told the German Editorial Network on Tuesday that haste was the order of the day.

“People have been hit hard and need the security and confidence that they will not be left alone in the reconstruction process either,” Dreyer said, adding that there was a huge amount of solidarity between the federal and state governments. 

“The sooner the Bundestag and Bundesrat meet the better for the people in the disaster areas,” she said.

Improvements to warning systems up for discussion

According to the Association of German Chambers of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), the damage to businesses in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate alone amounts to a billion euros.

Cautious estimates by local chambers of commerce and industry put the number of companies directly affected at more than 11,000.

“The amount of damage to buildings and machinery alone could exceed €3.5 billion,” they said.

READ ALSO: 

According to DPA, improvements to warnings for citizens are also set to be discussed on Tuesday.

These include a programme to upgrade sirens and a system that sends messages to mobile phone users similar to an SMS – to all those who are in the vicinity of a radio network at the time. This technology is already used in many other countries to warn against natural disasters such as floods.

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WEATHER

More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Severe storms and heavy rain affected parts of Germany on Thursday, creating disruptions. More rain is forecast on Friday but weather warnings have been lifted.

Published: 3 May 2024 09:53 CEST
More rain forecast as storms hit western Germany

Major storms hit western Germany on Thursday, causing travel disruption and flooding. 

In parts of Baden-Württemberg, streets were flooded and rivers swelled. Bisingen, southwest of Tübingen, was particularly hard hit, with cellars and streets plunged under water.

Police said there was also traffic disruption. In Baden-Württemberg’s state capital Stuttgart, severe storms and lightning caused issues and some roads were closed.

A lightning strike in the Sigmaringen area resulted in a broken signal box on the railway line. According to Deutsche Bahn, no train journeys were possible in the region in the early evening with several delays and cancellations.

Other states were also affected.

There were around 300 relief operations in the Ahrweiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate, which was hit by the 2021 deadly flood disaster.

Police said no-on was injured, although basements and streets were flooded. The water levels of the Ahr were being closely monitored.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday.

Emergency services in Bisingen on Thursday. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Silas Stein

In Trier, too, streets were flooded after heavy rain and there were hailstorms. The Koblenz police headquarters reported fallen trees. Significant property damage due to full cellars and flooded streets was also reported in some areas. 

Heavy showers also fell in Hesse, accompanied by thunder storms. In Frankfurt, according to the fire department, the heavy rain caused water to enter the Bethanien Hospital and even reach the intensive care unit of the clinic.

“We were able to contain the damage relatively quickly and prevent it from spreading,” said fire department spokesman Thorben Schemmel, adding that no patients were affected.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, the Eifel region was particularly affected, with reports of flooded streets after heavy rain and hailstorms.

North Rhine-Westphalia also saw storms late in the afternoon on Thursday. 

The German Weather Service (DWD) said it expected some heavy rain and hail in parts of the country on Friday – particularly in the west – and at the weekend but warnings of severe weather have been lifted. 

The DWD said there could still be one or two strong thunderstorms in the northeast on Friday. However, it will be a significantly quieter day compared to Thursday. Temperatures of up to 25C can be expected.

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