"Everything is ruined..." Devastated Western Europe faces daunting recovery efforts after heavy rain and floods

Rescue workers are clearing a passenger car and a truck that fell into the water on the B265 highway near Erftstadt, Germany, on the 17th (local time).
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Daehyun] Flood victims in Western Europe, who suffered the worst damage due to record-breaking heavy rain followed by floods, have begun large-scale recovery efforts, but the scale of the damage is so vast that difficulties are expected.

According to foreign media such as BBC on the 17th (local time), although Western European flood victims have started large-scale recovery work, the recovery is expected to be difficult given that the flood caused more than 180 deaths.

Restoration work is underway on the 17th (local time) in Bad Neuenahr, a spa town in Ahrweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. [Image source=DPA Yonhap News]

In particular, in Bad Neuenahr, a spa town in Arweiler, Rhineland-Palatinate, which suffered the greatest damage in Germany, all buildings were swept away by water, and electricity, gas, and communications are still cut off, causing setbacks in recovery. Michael Lang, who runs a wine shop there, told reporters, "Everything is destroyed," adding, "It's a situation you wouldn't believe unless you see it with your own eyes."

In Rhineland-Palatinate, at least 670 people were injured and 110 lost their lives due to the floods. The total number of deaths in Germany is currently counted at 156, with 70% of them occurring in Rhineland-Palatinate.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel plans to visit Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate on the 18th to assess the damage. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, which also suffered severe damage, to console the flood victims on the same day.

Foreign media estimate that billions of euros will be spent on flood recovery in Germany alone. The German insurance industry expects that the payout for natural disaster compensation this year will exceed 9.3 billion euros (approximately 12.5 trillion KRW), the record set in 2013, according to foreign reports. The insured damage during the worst flood in August 2002 was 4.5 billion euros (about 6.06 trillion KRW). Since only about 45% of buildings are insured against heavy rain and floods, the actual damage is expected to be even greater.

At least 27 people died in Belgium due to the floods. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo declared the 20th a national day of mourning. Belgium has deployed soldiers to four of its ten provinces to conduct rescue operations. Switzerland and the Netherlands also suffered significant damage from the floods.

Meanwhile, Armin Laschet, Governor of North Rhine-Westphalia and considered Chancellor Merkel’s successor, was criticized after being caught laughing and joking with other attendees while the president was consoling flood victims. Laschet later apologized, stating that his behavior was inappropriate.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.