Updated July 15, 2021 at 7:29 PM ET
More than 60 people have died and dozens are still missing in western Germany following torrential rain and flooding overnight Wednesday.
One of the hardest-hit areas was the wine-growing, hilly Eifel region in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate. Six houses collapsed in the village of Schuld, and authorities say another 25 buildings in the village are at risk of caving in.
In response to offers of help from the public, Koblenz Police have asked people to stay away from the Eifel's Ahrweiler region, but to upload any footage of the floods to social media to help them locate the missing. Authorities in Koblenz tweeted Thursday morning that 18 people had died in the region.
Many residents are waiting to be evacuated from their rooftops, but roads to some villages in the region are no longer accessible because of flooding and landslides. Regional authorities have declared a state of emergency, and the army has been deployed.
Wir bitten um Eure Mithilfe durch 脺bermittlungen von Videosequenzen und Fotos, die Hinweise auf vermisste Personen und Tote geben k枚nnen.
— Polizei Koblenz (@Polizei_KO)
Die Videodateien und Fotos k枚nnen hier hochgeladen werden:
Climate change now increases the risk of seasonal rains turning catastrophic. In a hotter Europe, and flooding to grow more frequent.
Rhineland-Palatinate's state government is holding an emergency meeting Thursday to address the dangers of the current situation and the operation required to clear up damage.
In the neighboring state of North Rhine-Westphalia, an 82-year-old man died in his flooded basement in the city of Wuppertal. Two firefighters also died overnight during rescue operations,
The flooding has also affected neighboring European countries including Belgium, where Prime Minister Alexander De Croo said the country is facing "."
North Rhine-Westphalia's state governor, Armin Laschet, who is running to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel in the September election, visited the affected city of Hagen. The city has seen its worst floods in 25 years, and authorities there are warning residents who live near the river to leave their properties.
Merkel, who has been in Washington, D.C., meeting with President Biden, issued a statement through a government spokesperson on Twitter.
"My condolences go out to the relatives of the dead and missing. I thank the many tireless helpers and emergency services from the bottom of my heart," Merkel said.
Kanzlerin : 鈥濱ch bin ersch眉ttert 眉ber die Katastrophe, die so viele Menschen in den 鈥媑ebieten durchleiden m眉ssen. Mein Mitgef眉hl gilt den Angeh枚rigen der Toten und Vermissten. Den vielen unerm眉dlichen Helfern und Einsatzkr盲ften danke ich von Herzen.鈥�
— Steffen Seibert (@RegSprecher)
Transport infrastructure has also been badly affected by the rain. Most rail services running through central and western Germany have been suspended, resulting in congestion on the nation's highways.
Parts of southern and eastern Germany have also been hit by flooding, as have neighboring countries Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Dutch troops are aiding precautionary evacuation efforts in the southern province of Limburg as rivers are expected to burst their banks. After more than two months' worth of rain in just 24 hours, authorities are bracing themselves for more rain Thursday, but dryer weather is expected by the weekend.
The intense flooding has also sparked conversation about the impact of climate change with Germany's Federal Environment Minister Svenja Schulze , "The events show the force with which the consequences of climate change can affect us all and how important it is to prepare even better for such extreme weather events in the future."
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