Merkel visits hard-hit German village ravaged by 'terrifying' flooding
By
Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist &
Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jul 20, 2021 6:05 PM EDT
As floodwaters slowly recede after historic flooding in western Europe, the scale of the destruction is hard to fathom.
Drier and sunnier weather across Europe this week revealed the full extent of one of the worst natural disasters the continent has ever experienced.
A sluggish storm system that hovered over central and western Europe last week unleashed a deluge that caused rivers to burst their banks and wash away vehicles, buildings and roadways, leading to a colossal cleanup operation that is only in its infancy.
The death toll eclipsed 200 Tuesday following days of torrential rainfall that produced catastrophic flooding in portions of western Europe this past week. Many remain missing as authorities continue to comb through massive piles of debris.
The flooding hit Belgium and Germany particularly hard, and thousands of residents are now without homes, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Belgium held a day of mourning on Tuesday, which included a minute of silent remembrance, AFP reported. The number of missing persons in the country has declined as telephone service gets reestablished and people are able to make contact with friends and family, according to AFP.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited some of the flood-ravaged areas over the weekend, including the village of Schuld Sunday, located in the western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Merkel, who called the flooding and its aftermath "terrifying," spoke to affected residents and later pledged to speed up the process for financial relief so reconstruction could begin, the BBC reported.
"It is shocking - I can almost say that the German language doesn't have words for the destruction that's been wreaked," Merkel said.
Merkel was joined by Rhineland-Palatinate premier Malu Dreyer, who said last week, "We have never seen such a catastrophe, it is truly devastating," according to AFP.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, parts of Europe received more than two months' worth of rain on July 14 and 15.
''In some areas we have not seen as much rainfall in 100 years," a spokesperson from Deutscher Wetterdienst, the German weather service, said in a statement, CNN reported.
The North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate regions of Germany were among the areas hit hardest by the torrential rainfall with most of the deaths occurring in these areas, according to The Guardian.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Germany's federal minister of defense, stressed that disaster relief is now the top priority of the military.
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Hundreds of soldiers were deployed in these efforts. The military units used inflatable boats and helicopters to reach people stranded on roofs, but downed phone and internet connections hindered the rescues, according to the AP.
German military helicopters continue to be used to transport water, medical equipment and medicine to the affected areas this week. The German Army could also be seen amidst the cleanup efforts on Monday, taking shovels to mud-packed streets and walkways.
Tanks were also used to clear mud, trees and debris from roadways.
At the onset of the initial downpours during the middle of last week, roadways were quickly flooded, basements were filled with floodwater, trees were uprooted and power lines were disrupted. Homes and buildings crumbled as foundations gave way.
The flooding in parts of Germany was so widespread, it could even be seen from space.
Damage from the storm that unleashed torrential rainfall was not only limited to Germany.
Major highways in Belgium were also submerged and railway service was stopped. A train was derailed in the Belgian Ardennes after a portion of the track was washed away by floodwaters. At least 31 deaths were reported in Belgium, The AP reported.
Widespread rainfall totals of 4-6 inches (100-150 mm) were reported across western Germany, Belgium and Netherlands. Rainfall totals were all around 5 inches (125 mm) across the country of Luxembourg, said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys.
Through the end of last week and through the weekend, heavy rainfall and flooding issues also spread to portions of several other countries including Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria.
Rainfall mostly subsided by Monday across the areas impacted by the worst of the flooding. Although additional rain is no longer complicating rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts, river flooding will remain a concern for a time.
Major river flooding, especially along portions of the Meuse, Mosel and Rhine rivers is forecast to persist through Tuesday.
By midweek, the risk for river flooding will shift downstream, into the southern Netherlands.
"The southern Netherlands are at risk for rising water levels and significant downstream flooding as the swollen Meuse and Rhine rush into the country," Roys said.
With a long road to recovery ahead, the one glimmer of good news for the impacted areas is that the weather pattern for the remainder of the week will be largely dry. This will allow swollen streams and raging rivers to calm down and give floodwaters a place to recede.
However, AccuWeather forecasters say that another storm may set its sights on Europe during the upcoming weekend.
While rainfall totals from this potential system are not forecast to be as robust as what occurred last week, any additional rain can complicate recovery and rebuilding efforts.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Merkel visits hard-hit German village ravaged by 'terrifying' flooding
By Maura Kelly, AccuWeather meteorologist & Mary Gilbert, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Jul 20, 2021 6:05 PM EDT
As floodwaters slowly recede after historic flooding in western Europe, the scale of the destruction is hard to fathom.
Drier and sunnier weather across Europe this week revealed the full extent of one of the worst natural disasters the continent has ever experienced.
A sluggish storm system that hovered over central and western Europe last week unleashed a deluge that caused rivers to burst their banks and wash away vehicles, buildings and roadways, leading to a colossal cleanup operation that is only in its infancy.
The death toll eclipsed 200 Tuesday following days of torrential rainfall that produced catastrophic flooding in portions of western Europe this past week. Many remain missing as authorities continue to comb through massive piles of debris.
The flooding hit Belgium and Germany particularly hard, and thousands of residents are now without homes, according to The Associated Press (AP).
Belgium held a day of mourning on Tuesday, which included a minute of silent remembrance, AFP reported. The number of missing persons in the country has declined as telephone service gets reestablished and people are able to make contact with friends and family, according to AFP.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited some of the flood-ravaged areas over the weekend, including the village of Schuld Sunday, located in the western German state of Rhineland-Palatinate.
Merkel, who called the flooding and its aftermath "terrifying," spoke to affected residents and later pledged to speed up the process for financial relief so reconstruction could begin, the BBC reported.
"It is shocking - I can almost say that the German language doesn't have words for the destruction that's been wreaked," Merkel said.
Merkel was joined by Rhineland-Palatinate premier Malu Dreyer, who said last week, "We have never seen such a catastrophe, it is truly devastating," according to AFP.
According to the World Meteorological Organization, parts of Europe received more than two months' worth of rain on July 14 and 15.
''In some areas we have not seen as much rainfall in 100 years," a spokesperson from Deutscher Wetterdienst, the German weather service, said in a statement, CNN reported.
The North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate regions of Germany were among the areas hit hardest by the torrential rainfall with most of the deaths occurring in these areas, according to The Guardian.
Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Germany's federal minister of defense, stressed that disaster relief is now the top priority of the military.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Hundreds of soldiers were deployed in these efforts. The military units used inflatable boats and helicopters to reach people stranded on roofs, but downed phone and internet connections hindered the rescues, according to the AP.
German military helicopters continue to be used to transport water, medical equipment and medicine to the affected areas this week. The German Army could also be seen amidst the cleanup efforts on Monday, taking shovels to mud-packed streets and walkways.
Tanks were also used to clear mud, trees and debris from roadways.
At the onset of the initial downpours during the middle of last week, roadways were quickly flooded, basements were filled with floodwater, trees were uprooted and power lines were disrupted. Homes and buildings crumbled as foundations gave way.
The flooding in parts of Germany was so widespread, it could even be seen from space.
Damage from the storm that unleashed torrential rainfall was not only limited to Germany.
Major highways in Belgium were also submerged and railway service was stopped. A train was derailed in the Belgian Ardennes after a portion of the track was washed away by floodwaters. At least 31 deaths were reported in Belgium, The AP reported.
Widespread rainfall totals of 4-6 inches (100-150 mm) were reported across western Germany, Belgium and Netherlands. Rainfall totals were all around 5 inches (125 mm) across the country of Luxembourg, said AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys.
Through the end of last week and through the weekend, heavy rainfall and flooding issues also spread to portions of several other countries including Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria.
Rainfall mostly subsided by Monday across the areas impacted by the worst of the flooding. Although additional rain is no longer complicating rescue, recovery and rebuilding efforts, river flooding will remain a concern for a time.
Major river flooding, especially along portions of the Meuse, Mosel and Rhine rivers is forecast to persist through Tuesday.
By midweek, the risk for river flooding will shift downstream, into the southern Netherlands.
"The southern Netherlands are at risk for rising water levels and significant downstream flooding as the swollen Meuse and Rhine rush into the country," Roys said.
With a long road to recovery ahead, the one glimmer of good news for the impacted areas is that the weather pattern for the remainder of the week will be largely dry. This will allow swollen streams and raging rivers to calm down and give floodwaters a place to recede.
However, AccuWeather forecasters say that another storm may set its sights on Europe during the upcoming weekend.
While rainfall totals from this potential system are not forecast to be as robust as what occurred last week, any additional rain can complicate recovery and rebuilding efforts.
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Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo