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The flooding in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate was some of the worst in decades, after several days of steady rain dumped more water than could be absorbed by the ground and sewage systems.
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The leader of Friends of the Earth Germany in North Rhine-Westphalia linked the severe flooding in the region to what he said were failed policies by lawmakers in charge of the state. The impact of climate change is one of the issues that has been fiercely debated in Germany before the September elections in which the Greens party is in the running for second place, behind Mr. Laschet’s conservative Christian Democrats.
“The catastrophic results of the heavy rain in the past few days are largely homemade,” said Holger Sticht, who heads the regional chapter and blamed lawmakers and industry for building in floodplains and woodland
I don't know. Some of the towns shown in videos and photos look like they've been there for hundreds of years, long predating any modern lawmakers and industry. There are plenty of towns and villages in alpine regions, that could get inundated by days of heavy rains or a sudden spring snowmelt-off high in the mountains, and the like.
In the eyes of many, however, it is not premature to be raising questions about why the area was hit again so soon. While some blamed climate change, others pointed to poor planning and overbuilding in areas endangered by floods.
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Climate experts for the insurance giant Munich Re said the weeks of heavy rain that set off the flooding were the result of moist air from the Mediterranean combining with a strong low-pressure system that built up over much of Central and Eastern Europe. They called it a “weather pattern that has become increasingly common in recent decades.”
Peter Höppe, the head of research for Munich Re, called for better planning to prevent flooding, including expanding overflow areas and reinforcing existing dikes.
“Flooding is a natural danger that we can best reduce and prevent,” Mr. Höppe said.
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