Early warnings failed to reach at-risk communities as death toll surpasses 150
Germany is facing intense criticism over its flood alert system after extreme weather caused devastating flooding last week, claiming over 150 lives. Questions are being raised about how one of the wealthiest nations in the world was caught off guard by the disaster, as key early warnings about record rainfall and flooding did not reach communities in the most vulnerable areas.
In Erftstadt, south of Cologne, residents who had installed the federal weather warning app were told to stay inside their homes by Wednesday. However, by Thursday, they were informed of a nearby dam’s risk of collapsing, putting them in “extreme danger.”
In the Ahrweiler district, where at least 117 people died, the Nina warning app failed to alert residents to the imminent danger, despite torrential rainwater causing catastrophic flooding through villages in the Eifel mountains.
The flood’s aftermath has left many communities without access to drinking water, power, or gas, and highlighted significant flaws in the country’s alert system.
