The death toll is 157 between Germany and Belgium, the countries most affected by the worst natural disaster in northern Europe in more than half a century. A dramatic number that flanks that of the missing, over a thousand in Germany alone. These are hours of continuous research for rescuers: the scenario of damage and situations in danger is not destined to end soon.
Germany between searches, evacuees and returns
Research continues unabated. During the night, evacuation operations began in the most endangered areas. Like the German village of Ophoven, where 700 inhabitants were driven from their homes after a dam on the River Rur, in the Heinsberg district, showed signs of subsidence. The municipality, which is located near the Dutch border, issued a statement this morning stating that the situation remains serious. It is unclear how extensive is the subsidence of the dam on the river that flows from Germany to Holland and Belgium. The mayor of Wassenberg, Marcel Maurer, (headed by Ophoven) speculated that the closing of the gates on the Dutch side of the dam may have caused a rise in the water. However, no problems were recorded in the night and the water levels remain stable. Authorities have warned residents of the two other districts in the area that they may also be evacuated.
Instead, the first inhabitants of Trier, a city in Rhineland Palatinate, which suffered severe damage from the flood that swept the west of Germany, are returning home today: about 1000 people were evacuated on Thursday from the Ehrang district and 670 and houses affected by heavy flooding which in many cases compromised their static nature. In many cases, those who were able to return remained without water and without electricity.
The German president, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, arrived in Erftstadt, one of the most affected by the floods in the Rhine district. The head of state is accompanied by the minister-president of North Rhine-Westphalia and secretary of the CDU, Armin Laschet. On a visit he said: “A disaster, it will take days if not weeks to count the dead.”
Belgium without electricity and communications
In Belgium alone, the death toll has risen to 24, according to the national crisis center, which coordinates relief efforts: “Unfortunately, we must assume that this figure will continue to rise in the next few hours and days,” the center said in a statement. About 20 people are still missing. In recent days, the floods, which mainly affected the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia and eastern Belgium, have cut entire communities from electricity and communications.
In the southern Belgian provinces of Luxembourg and Namur, authorities have rushed to provide families with drinking water without a clean supply. The water level has slowly fallen in the worst-hit areas of Belgium, although the crisis center said the situation could worsen in the afternoon along the Demer River near Brussels, with about 10 homes threatened with destruction. Belgian rail network operator Infrabel has published repair plans for the lines, some of which will only return to service at the end of August. Emergency services in the Netherlands remained on high alert due to river flooding that threatened towns and villages across the southern province of Limburg.
Tens of thousands of residents in the region have been evacuated over the past two days, as soldiers, firefighters and volunteers worked frantically throughout Friday night to reinforce the levees and prevent flooding. The Dutch have so far escaped a disaster on the scale of their neighbors, and as of Saturday morning no casualties had been reported. Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen were due to visit Pepinster, where the houses were swept away, this afternoon. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Armin Laschet, premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, also had to visit Erftstadt, one of the most affected cities. Laschet is the candidate of the CDU party in the general elections in September. The devastation of the floods could intensify the debate on climate change ahead of the vote. Scientists have long said that climate change will lead to heavier downpours. But determining its role in these relentless downpours will require at least several weeks of research, scientists said Friday.
Weather warnings in Great Britain, the hottest day of the year is coming
A symptom of climate change is also the weather alert issued in the UK for an extraordinary heat wave expected for the weekend, when the hottest day of the year could be recorded. But the whole UK is expecting a mini-wave of heatwave, three consecutive days until “Freedom Day”, from today until Monday, when health restrictions for Covid-19 will be relaxed. Temperatures in the UK have been below average so far. The hottest day of the year was June 14, when the thermometer stopped at 29.7 C in Teddington, South West London. But it is still a long way off the record temperatures for the summer period, the 38.7 C recorded at Cambridge Botanical Gardens on 25 July 2019.
Public Health England, however, urges citizens to organize themselves to stay cool and asks to help those who may be at risk from the surge in temperature, which is expected to exceed 31 degrees Celsius. “We expect temperature thresholds to be exceeded in most of England,” explains Will Lang of the UK Weather Office. “The high temperatures – he adds – are the main element of our forecasts until Tuesday, the day when they will drop.” Public Health England points out that older people and children are especially at risk. “For this reason we are launching an appeal to all citizens asking them to take care of those who may be at risk”.