The death toll rose to more than 170 in western and central Europe Saturday after rounds of heavy rainfall caused rivers to burst their banks, producing disastrous flooding that washed away houses and roadways. And the death toll may continue to increase as floodwaters begin to gradually recede.
The catastrophic flooding ravaged Belgium and Germany where thousands now find themselves homeless, The Associated Press reported. Hundreds of people are reportedly still missing.
”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.
Rescue crews across the region were frantically working to rescue stranded residents from homes submerged in floodwaters as the building threatens to collapse, the AP 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 occurring in these areas, according to Reuters.
Counted among the fatalities were 12 residents of an assisted living facility for people with disabilities.
“We have never seen such a catastrophe, it is truly devastating,” Rhineland-Palatinate premier Malu Dreyer told state lawmakers, according to AFP.
Late in the day on Friday, around 700 residents were evacuated after a dam broke in Wassenberg, a town near Cologne, Reuters reported. On Saturday morning, Mayor Marcel Maurer announced that water levels were beginning to stabilize, adding, “It’s too early to give the all-clear but we are cautiously optimistic.”
However, the Steinbachtal dam was still at risk of breaching as of Saturday morning, prompting authorities to evacuate nearly 4,500 people from homes downstream. Experts are planning to reassess the structural integrity of the dam.
Federal Minister of Defense Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer stressed that disaster relief is now the top priority of the military. Approximately 900 soldiers have been 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.
Tanks were also used to clear mud, trees and debris from roadways.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated she was distraught by the news and offered her sympathy to the families of those killed and missing due to the floods, the AP reported.
President Joe Biden offered his condolences to Germany in his opening comment during Thursday’s discussion with Merkel in Washington, D.C.
Merkel noted that Thursday was a day of “fear, despair and suffering” in Germany amid the disastrous flooding. She plans to travel to the flood areas in Rhineland-Palatinate on Sunday.
On Wednesday, firefighters in Hagen were called to rescue stranded motorists after streets were turned into rivers, the AP reported. Photos and videos on social media showed the torrents and water levels reaching to the hoods of cars.
Roadways were also flooded in Düsseldorf, including in the A44 tunnel that runs just south of the airport. The city reported 1.89 inches (48 mm) of rain in about 12 hours Tuesday night into Wednesday.
Flooding was not limited to western Germany this week with reports of flooding along eastern Germany’s border with the Czech Republic.
One man went missing after being swept away in floodwaters trying to secure his property in Jöhstadt Tuesday night, and a disaster alert was declared in Hof County after torrential rains filled basements, uprooted trees and cut power to many in the region.
Rainfall totals of 3.34 inches (85 mm) over 12 hours were reported in Hof on Tuesday. This area also received around 3.50 inches (89 mm) on July 9.
The severe flooding posed problems in neighboring countries as well.
According to officials, the death toll in Belgium rose to 27 on Saturday with 103 people still missing, a local news source
Source: National News Agency