Numerous commemorative events are taking place today to mark the anniversary of the flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia.
Berlin – Federal President Frank Walter-Steinmeier visited the hard-hit Ahr Valley on Thursday (11 a.m.). Together with the Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer (SPD), he wants to find out about the status of the reconstruction. Dreyer ordered funeral flags to be displayed in all public buildings in Rhineland-Palatinate on Thursday.
In the afternoon, an ecumenical memorial service will take place in Euskirchen as the central commemorative event, in which NRW Prime Minister Hendrik Wüst (CDU) will also take part.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) and the survivors of the victims are also expected to attend the commemoration in the Church of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the same time, a commemorative event will take place in the Bad Neuenahr spa park.
Flood disaster in July 2021 claims around 190 lives
At least 184 people in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia died in the flooding after extremely heavy rain on July 14 and 15, 2021. Hundreds more were injured. Thousands lost their homes in the floods. Around 40 kilometers along the Ahr, around 9,000 buildings, roads, bridges, rails, gas, electricity and water lines were destroyed or badly damaged. Videos of daring rescue operations circulated on social media. The situation was dramatic. The federal and state governments are providing 30 billion euros for reconstruction. But a lot is still in trouble on site. Funds flow slowly. Even a year after the flood, the political process of coming to terms with the situation is not yet complete. Who is responsible?
“No one could have foreseen the extent”
“Nobody could have foreseen the extent of this catastrophe,” said the Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer, in an interview with ARD “Tagesthemen” on Wednesday evening. She sees no reason to apologize on behalf of the state government. “We have to investigate why civil protection did not work, and above all what we have to do for the future.” (afp / dpa)
