Flood protection Disaster and warning plan in the district of Ahrweiler still not ready
More than ten months after the flash flood in the Ahr valley, a disaster and warning plan coordinated with the municipalities is still not ready in the Ahrweiler district. The creation of an overall concept is still in its infancy, the district administration announced.
A modern electronic siren is mounted on the roof of the community centre in Rech. Ten and a half months after the flash flood in the Ahr valley with 134 deaths, a disaster and warning plan for floods in the Ahrweiler district, coordinated with the municipalities, is still not ready.
Foto: dpa/Thomas FreyAbout ten and a half months after the flash flood in the Ahr valley with 134 deaths, a disaster and warning plan for floods in the Ahrweiler district, coordinated with the municipalities, is still not ready. "The creation of an overall concept for alarm and response plans for disasters such as floods is still in its early stages," the district administration in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler announced. "Accordingly, we cannot yet make any statement on a possible completion date.“
According to the information, three district-wide working groups with representatives of the municipal fire brigades are developing key points on topics such as vehicles and technology, alarm and deployment planning as well as warning. In addition, the results of the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament's commission of enquiry on the July 2021 flood would be included.
"The construction of an electronic siren warning network for the municipalities near the Ahr is currently in full swing," added the district administration. About 70 per cent of about 80 planned sirens in the Ahr valley have already been installed. It is not yet possible to say when all of them will be in operation - and the total costs are still unclear.
In the deadly flood disaster in mid-July 2021 after extremely heavy rainfall in the Ahr valley, residents in many places are said to have been warned too late. According to experts, there were alarm and emergency plans of the municipalities, but no district-wide disaster concept coordinated with them. Fire inspectors from several regions in the north-west of Rhineland-Palatinate gave a picture of the alarm plans that differed from district to district.
