30 bn euros to rebuild after German floods: Laschet

The conservative frontrunner to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor, Armin Laschet, called Monday for up to 30 billion euros ($35 billion) to rebuild after last month's catastrophic floods.

Laschet, who leads one of the states hardest hit by the historic deluge, North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW), told a special session of the regional legislature that victims could count on "solidarity".

"The total damage in North Rhine-Westphalia will reach 13 billion euros according to initial estimates," he said, while neighbouring state Rhineland-Palatinate "will reach a similar, perhaps even higher sum".

Laschet said Germany's 16 state leaders and the federal government were well on their way to hammering out a relief package for afflicted areas.

"All the states have shown they are ready to commit this 20 to 30 billion euros."

He added that NRW had not faced the need to rebuild thousands of destroyed homes at once since World War II and would appoint an official to manage the reconstruction effort and improve disaster warning systems.

The costs are to be equally shared between the federal government and the states, according to draft conclusions of a meeting of top political officials to be held on Tuesday reported in German media.

At least 190 people lost their lives in severe floods that pummelled western Germany in mid-July, wiping out homes, businesses and vital infrastructure.

Laschet's Christian Democrats are leading in the polls ahead of the September 26 election although he has faced criticism for his handling of the catastrophe.

Government officials have vowed to learn lessons from the tragedy and improve the country's disaster warning systems, including through SMS alerts and wider use of sirens.

Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

Floods in Sudan damage thousands of homes
Khartoum (AFP) Aug 8, 2021
Thousands of homes have been damaged in Sudan after torrential rains caused heavy flooding, with many streets in the capital Khartoum deep in water, AFP correspondents said Sunday. Heavy rains usually fall in Sudan from June to October, and the country faces severe flooding every year, wrecking properties, infrastructure, and crops. In Atbara, a city in Sudan's north-east, the official news agency SUNA reported that a number of houses had "collapsed" due to the heavy rains. On Thursday, the ... read more