{"id":13170,"date":"2021-07-28T15:19:11","date_gmt":"2021-07-28T15:19:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/?p=13170"},"modified":"2021-07-28T15:19:11","modified_gmt":"2021-07-28T15:19:11","slug":"water-everywhere-how-did-germany-get-flooded-flood","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/water-everywhere-how-did-germany-get-flooded-flood\/","title":{"rendered":"Water Everywhere: How Did Germany Get Flooded?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>It all started as regular\u00a0<em>schlechtes Wetter\u00a0<\/em>(n, bad weather), but <em>Tief Bernd\u00a0<\/em>(n, depression Bernd) just wouldn&#8217;t move. Regenerating the <em>Regenwolken\u00a0<\/em>(f, rain clouds) with water from the <em>Mittelmeer\u00a0<\/em>(n, Mediterranean Sea) and the <em>Atlantik\u00a0<\/em>(m, Atlantic Ocean). The <em>Regen\u00a0<\/em>(m, rain) just wouldn&#8217;t stop, and . It was <em>der perfekte Sturm\u00a0<\/em>(the perfect storm).<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Together Against the Flood<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Die Hochwasser-Katastrophe \u2013 Im Dauereinsatz gegen die Flut | ZDF.reportage\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/a3d_3lpLvnw?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0<em>Regen\u00a0<\/em>turned into\u00a0<em>Flut\u00a0<\/em>(f, flood). <em>Stra\u00dfen\u00a0<\/em>(f, roads) became impassable, <em>Keller\u00a0<\/em>(m, basements) were\u00a0<em>unter Wasser\u00a0<\/em>(submerged) in no time.\u00a0<em>Die Feuerwehr\u00a0<\/em>(fire department) is in\u00a0<em>Dauereinsatz\u00a0<\/em>(m, continuous operation), they can&#8217;t deal with all the <em>Notrufe\u00a0<\/em>(m, emergency calls).<\/p>\n<p>It all started in the east, in the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/german-christmas-4-questions-answered-about-german-rauchermannchen\/\"><em>Erzgebirge<\/em><\/a> and the north of\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/neuschwanstein-is-150-years-old\/\"><em>Bayern\u00a0<\/em>(Bavaria)<\/a>. A bit later, Bernd starts pouring down in the west of Germany, more than 300 kilometers away. In the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/the-end-of-germanys-coal\/\"><em>Ruhrgebiet\u00a0<\/em>(Ruhr area)<\/a>, the\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/german-nationalparks-part-4-eifel\/\"><em>Eifel<\/em><\/a> and\u00a0<em>das Sauerland.\u00a0<\/em>In the city Hagen, the worst\u00a0<em>Regenf\u00e4lle\u00a0<\/em>(m, rainfalls) ever were reported. They had never seen something like this.<\/p>\n<p>Small\u00a0<em>Fl\u00fcsse\u00a0<\/em>(m, rivers) that normally nobody even knows about now grow into dangerous streams that destroy everything in their path. Entire towns are flooded, homes are decimated. While most people can evacuate and stay safe, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rnd.de\/panorama\/zwoelf-menschen-in-wohnheim-fuer-behinderte-in-sinzig-ertrunken-V6EEWR26XQMXDNS5A7QTTONXIM.html\">some can&#8217;t make it in time.<\/a><\/p>\n<p>In Erfstadt-Blessem, in <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/the-top-5-reasons-besides-the-kolner-dom-to-visit-nordrhein-westfalen-on-your-trip-to-germany\/\"><em>Nordrhein-Westfalen\u00a0<\/em>(North-Rhine Westphalia)<\/a>, a\u00a0<em>Kiesgrube\u00a0<\/em>(f, gravel quarry) became so inundated that it pulled down the land around it, creating a veritable\u00a0<em>Kraterlandschaft\u00a0<\/em>(crater landscape).\u00a0<em>H\u00e4user\u00a0<\/em>(n, houses),\u00a0<em>Autos\u00a0<\/em>(n, cars), even the\u00a0<em>Weizenfelder\u00a0<\/em>(n, wheat fields) were washed away.<\/p>\n<p>But there was hope as well. Millions donated things they could spare, groceries, or money to organisations that helped those in need. Thousands helped with the <em>Tr\u00fcmmerbeseitigung\u00a0<\/em>(debris removal). It shows that in such times of need, people are there for each other.<\/p>\n<h1><strong><em>Musste es so kommen?<\/em><\/strong><\/h1>\n<div id=\"attachment_13185\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone post-item__attachment\"><a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/photos\/kEFu3-dEIw4\" aria-label=\"Dylan Leagh KEFu3 DEIw4 Unsplash 1024x683\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13185\" class=\"size-large wp-image-13185\"  alt=\"Germany floods news\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" \/ src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-1024x683.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-13185\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Photo by <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@dylanleagh?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Dylan Leagh<\/a> on <a href=\"https:\/\/unsplash.com\/@dylanleagh?utm_source=unsplash&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_content=creditCopyText\">Unsplash<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n<p>An incredible, unbelievable\u00a0<em>Katastrophe <\/em>(f, catastrophe) that seems like a once-in-a-lifetime event. However,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/the-environment-german-vocab-reading\/\"><em>der Klimawandel <\/em>(climate change)<\/a> is responsible for more extreme weather events like these. With a heating north pole, the jet stream slows down, and therefore also does not pull a\u00a0<em>Tief <\/em>like <em>Bernd <\/em>away as quickly. The consequence is almost stagnant rain clouds that don&#8217;t stop pouring down. So these kinds of events may become more frequent, and this could happen again.<\/p>\n<p>But there&#8217;s more that&#8217;s at play. Many wonder:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.faz.net\/aktuell\/politik\/inland\/flut-in-deutschland-musste-es-zu-der-katastrophe-kommen-17444973.html\"><em><strong>Musste es so kommen?\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>(Did it have to be this way?)<\/a> And many say:\u00a0<em>Nat\u00fcrlich nicht!\u00a0<\/em>(of course not!) There is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.handelsblatt.com\/politik\/katastrophenschutz-warnung-vor-dem-hochwasser-kritik-an-monumentalem-systemversagen-waechst\/27433914.html?ticket=ST-744566-zS1cPVyXFyZTZPI7eNrm-ap1\">talk of\u00a0<em>monumentales<\/em> <em>Systemversagen\u00a0<\/em>(n, monumental system failure)<\/a> on part of the authorities. In the Federal system of Germany, there is\u00a0<em>Delegation\u00a0<\/em>(f, delegation) of responsibilities to lower levels; so where in the chain it went wrong, is hard to say. One thing is certain: There is a resurgence of\u00a0<em>Alarmsirenen\u00a0<\/em>(f, alarm sirens), which were built after the Second World War in case of a nuclear attack. While they were dismantled in recent decades to be replaced with other systems, such as\u00a0<em>Warn-Apps\u00a0<\/em>(f, warning apps), those may not be effective with people that don&#8217;t (frequently) use a smartphone. Plus, sending out\u00a0<em>Warnungen\u00a0<\/em>(f, warnings) when the electricity and mobile network are down is not going to work. So\u00a0<em>Alarmsirenen\u00a0<\/em>may be a good first step.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<img width=\"350\" height=\"233\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-350x233.jpg\" class=\"attachment-post-thumbnail size-post-thumbnail wp-post-image\" alt=\"Germany floods news\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-350x233.jpg 350w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2021\/07\/dylan-leagh-kEFu3-dEIw4-unsplash.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 350px) 100vw, 350px\" \/><p>It all started as regular\u00a0schlechtes Wetter\u00a0(n, bad weather), but Tief Bernd\u00a0(n, depression Bernd) just wouldn&#8217;t move. Regenerating the Regenwolken\u00a0(f, rain clouds) with water from the Mittelmeer\u00a0(n, Mediterranean Sea) and the Atlantik\u00a0(m, Atlantic Ocean). The Regen\u00a0(m, rain) just wouldn&#8217;t stop, and . It was der perfekte Sturm\u00a0(the perfect storm). Together Against the Flood The\u00a0Regen\u00a0turned into\u00a0Flut\u00a0(f, flood)&hellip;<\/p>\n<p class=\"post-item__readmore\"><a class=\"btn btn--md\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/water-everywhere-how-did-germany-get-flooded-flood\/\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":13185,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[551764,8,179,122,376076],"tags":[10501,2141,8426,551758],"class_list":["post-13170","post","type-post","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","category-language","category-news","category-politics","category-vocabulary","tag-catastrophe","tag-flood","tag-germany","tag-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13170"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13170\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13187,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13170\/revisions\/13187"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/13185"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/german\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}