Victims of the flood disaster in western Germany are still struggling with the consequences. Many households remain without heating in winter.
Ahrweiler – During the flood disaster * in western Germany, a large part of the natural gas network was destroyed by the water masses. According to the energy supplier EVM, many people cannot yet be supplied again.
The region of the city of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is affected. South of the Ahr, households are to be reconnected to the grid as early as October, so in time for the heating season, according to the supplier. North of the Ahr, things look different: around 3,500 households here won’t get gas again until December at the earliest. This is reported by the Reuters news agency.
Flood: No heating due to flood disaster – emergency supply is necessary
In order to still supply the population, the city has now asked the energy supplier to provide alternative heating options such as mobile gas tanks. A connection to the less destroyed district heating network is also conceivable, according to Mayor Guido Orthen. According to information from EVM, 133 kilometers of natural gas pipelines and more than 7000 network connections as well as numerous gas pressure regulating and measuring systems were damaged or destroyed by the floods in the Ahr Valley. “This is the biggest damaging event in the history of our company after the Second World War,” said CEO Josef Rönz, according to Reuters.
The repairs are being worked at full speed. However, the reconstruction is particularly costly due to the destroyed Ahr crossings. The federal and state governments have already pledged billions in aid to repair the severe damage caused by the flood disaster. *
Flood disaster: Hundreds of residents have to go into emergency containers
For some of the residents, alternative supply options could not be made available in good time. In some cases, villages were not connected to the supply network even before the disaster. In many cases, their own gas or heating oil tanks were washed away or destroyed.
Emergency shelter in the form of containers will be provided for these people. Orthen said there are probably a few hundred affected. “We currently have a need for around 150 people.” The number will increase, however, as many are only now realizing that the energy supply is not guaranteed. (Nadja Austel)
