![]() ![]() “This flood will leave scars on the people of Schuld - scars that you don’t forget, that can’t be overcome, because our lives changed from one day to the next,” Mayor Helmut Lussi said, breaking into sobs as he spoke. Residents in the devastated areas will be needing support and comfort for a long time yet. "One flood isn't the example of climate change, but if we look at the loss events of recent years, decades, then they are simply more frequent than they were previously – so we must make a great effort," Merkel said. Investing in fighting climate change is expensive, she said, but failing to do so is even more costly. "And nevertheless, the second lesson is that we must pay great attention to adaptation" to climate change. ![]() "We must get faster in the battle against climate change," Merkel said, pointing to policies already set in motion by Germany and the European Union to cut greenhouse gas emissions. Scientists can't yet say for sure whether climate change caused the flooding, but they insist it certainly exacerbates the extreme weather disasters on display around the world. Merkel said authorities would work to "set the world right again in this beautiful region, step by step," and her Cabinet would approve an immediate and medium-term financial aid program on Wednesday. "It is shocking – I would almost say that the German language barely has words for the devastation that has been wreaked," she said at a news conference in a nearby town. Merkel said she came away from Schuld, still partly strewn with rubble and mud in bright sunshine, with "a real picture of, I must say, the surreal, ghostly situation." ![]() Aid coming to hard-hit areas more than $300M may be needed In neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany's most populous, 46 people were killed, including four firefighters.īelgium confirmed 31 deaths. Authorities said some people were still missing, and they fear the toll may still rise. The death toll in the Ahrweiler area, where Schuld is located, stood at 112. Although the mayor of Schuld said no one was killed or injured there, many other places weren't so lucky. ![]()
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