Schweitzer Admits Failures in Flood Disaster

Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister-President takes responsibility for mistakes made in the Ahr Valley

Investigation committee to clarify the course of events

Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate - Rhineland-Palatinate's Minister-President Malu Dreyer (SPD) has admitted that mistakes were made in the Ahr Valley flood disaster. “Yes, there were failures,” she told the “Rhein-Zeitung”. The investigation committee of the state parliament will clarify how these failures came about and who is responsible for them, said Dreyer, who is also responsible for disaster control in the state. The flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia in mid-July 2021 claimed 134 lives in Rhineland-Palatinate alone. Many people lost their houses and belongings in the floods. Dreyer also announced that the state government would set up a compensation fund for flood victims. The exact amount of the fund has not yet been determined. The investigation committee of the state parliament is to start its work in September. The committee is to investigate the course of events leading up to and during the flood disaster. The focus will be on the question of whether the authorities could have done more to prevent or mitigate the damage. The flood disaster in the Ahr Valley was one of the most severe natural disasters in post-war Germany. The Ahr, a tributary of the Rhine, rose to a record level within a few hours due to heavy rainfall. Whole villages were flooded, bridges collapsed and roads were washed away. The flood disaster has led to a nationwide debate about disaster control. Many have criticized the authorities for not having warned the population in time and for not having taken sufficient protective measures.