The floods in Germany they have overflowed all the news today. And it is not for less the disaster that takes place in this country. At least 120 people have died and hundreds more in Western Europe are missing after some of the worst flooding in decades. Record rains caused rivers to overflow, devastating the region.
In this article we are going to tell you all the news about the flood in Germany and the dangers we face due to climate change.
Floods in Germany
In Germany, where the death toll now exceeds 100, Angela Merkel called for a determined battle against climate change. At least 20 people have died in Belgium. The Netherlands, Luxembourg, and Switzerland are also affected. Many factors contribute to flooding, but a warming atmosphere caused by climate change increases the likelihood of extreme rainfall. To better understand this climate phenomenon, you can read about how Germany experiences the effects of climate change y Massive flooding in Europe will become more frequent.
The world has already warmed around 1,2 ° C Since the industrial age began and temperatures will continue to rise unless governments around the world make drastic cuts in emissions.
An elderly man tried to enter a village that was nearly destroyed. He said his grandchildren were also there, but he couldn't find his relatives. Even authorities have said they aren't sure how many people were missing. There is no phone service in most of the area, and communication is nearly impossible. But today's death toll is expected to rise, and over time, the scale of this disaster has become clearer.
Along the Ahr River, there are twisted remains of flooded homes, broken bridges, campgrounds, and trailer parks. For the many people who live there and have verified the damage, it is almost impossible to imagine cleaning up and starting over. Approximately 15.000 police, soldiers and emergency services have been deployed to Germany to assist in search and rescue.
In Belgium, dramatic flood footage shows vehicles being towed through the streets of Verviers. Due to the risk of theft, an overnight curfew has been established.
Liege is Belgium's third-largest city after Brussels and Antwerp, who were ordered to evacuate on Thursday. Local officials say those who cannot leave must move to the highest floors of their buildings. The Meuse River running through the city leveled off Friday morning, with a small amount of overflowing in some areas.
Climate change and floods in Germany
Scientists condemn politicians for failing to protect their citizens from extreme weather events, such as the floods in northern Europe and the heat dome in the United States. For many years, they have predicted that due to man-made climate change, summer rains and heat waves will become more intense. Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading, said: 'The death and destruction caused by the floods in Europe is a tragedy that should have been avoided”. Forecasters issued a warning earlier this week, but insufficient attention was paid to the warning and preparations were insufficient.
The fact that the rest of the Northern Hemisphere is experiencing unprecedented heat waves and fires should remind people that in an increasingly warm world, our climate could become more dangerous. Knowing this is crucial to understanding the impact of climate change and the risk of flooding in Germany.
Scientists say governments must reduce carbon dioxide emissions that contribute to extreme events and prepare for more extreme weather. However, in the UK, which suffered severe flooding on Monday, the Government's Climate Change Advisory Committee recently told ministers that the country's preparations for extreme weather are worse than five years ago. Said the government has only met a fifth of its emission reduction commitments.
Just this week, the British government told people that they don't need to cut flights because this technology will solve the emissions problem, and most experts believe this is a gamble.
Strong rains
Heavy rains continue to be of concern across Europe. The authorities' attention is now focused on Austria and parts of Bavaria in southern Germany. Austrian media reported that emergency rescue teams in the Salzburg area had to rescue several people from their homes, where a city street was flooded by heavy rain.
According to Reuters, firefighters in Vienna, the Austrian capital, said the amount of precipitation that fell in one hour on Saturday night surpassed the record of the previous seven weeks. In Bavaria, at least one person died in the flooding. The relationship between the increase in these rainfalls and climate change is crucial, so it is important to delve deeper into how Floods will endanger millions of people within 25 years.
It must be borne in mind that not all extreme events can be attributed to our climate change that there is still not enough evidence for it. Extreme weather events have existed for millions of years and have not been associated with climate change. However, there is a correlation between the increase in the average temperatures of the planet and the increase of extreme meteorological phenomena like the floods in Germany.
Could it be avoided?
There has been an increase in criticism that the German government did not use all available resources, including public television, to report on the events during the flood. Four days before the serious tragedy in Germany, the system reportedly sent an alert to the country and Belgium. However, there is no use sending an alert if people do not know how to behave in flood conditions and they are not prepared for such a disaster, they are not storing food, water and other basic necessities. The experts explained that, in any case, it is difficult to evict in a few hours from a place near a river basin and in a valley like the town of Schulder.