Why the floods in Germany and other parts of Europe are so catastrophic

The floods that devastated parts of western Germany and parts of Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands this week were of unprecedented magnitude. What was the cause of this flood and why did it cause so much destruction?

Exceptional weather event

“Air masses, laden with abundant water, were blocked at altitude by the temperatures

cold which made them stagnate for four days in the region “Jean Jouzel, climatologist, former vice-chairman of the IPCC, the UN climate expert group, told AFP. The result was Intense rains, between July 14 and 15, which reached “100 and 150 millimeters”, which is equivalent to two months of rain, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

While the region is used to heavy rains, they have been “exceptional, both in terms of the amount of water spilled and its violence,” said Kai Schröter, hydrologist at the University of Potsdam.

Global warming?

The debate is intense. Several European politicians clearly establish a link between the two, but the German far right refutes this explanation and shouts at “instrumentalization”. “At the moment, we cannot say for sure that this event is linked to climate change,” but such extreme events are becoming “more frequent and more likely” due to warming, says Kai Schröter.

The increase in the temperature of the planet mechanically increases the evaporation of water from oceans and rivers, which brings “larger masses of water into the atmosphere”, he adds.

This phenomenon can increase the risk of intense and violent precipitations, specifies the researcher. More generally, theExtreme weather events are more likely due to global warming, according to the IPCC.

Poorly protected waterways

Why so many victims? Precipitation suddenly increased the flow of small rivers and river tributaries, which did not have the capacity to support such a large amount of water and were not protected by sufficiently high banks.

“The Rhine is used to flooding, the biggest problem is the small rivers, the tributaries”, underlined Friday the president of the German region of North Rhine-Westphalia, Armin Laschet.

“Big rivers are slower and wider, the water rises more slowly and we have more time to prepare, unlike small rivers,” says Schröter.

Unpreparedness?

Some German media and experts wonder about the lack of preparation of the authorities, who would not have alerted the population well in advance. “Analysts (…) issued warnings, but the warnings were not taken seriously and preparations were insufficient,” said Hannah Cloke, professor of hydrology at the University of Reading in the UK .

In addition, the lack of awareness of the population living in flood-prone areas to these risks is noted.

“Some victims underestimated the danger and did not respect two basic rules during heavy rains: avoid basements where water penetrates, and immediately cut off the electricity”, explains Armin Schuster, president of the BBK , a public body specializing in natural disasters, in the Bild journal.

Dozens of the dead were found in their basements.

Review town planning

Some experts point to urban planning and the increasing amount of cement in the soils of Western Germany, the economic center of Europe.

“Urbanization, which is important in these regions, played a role in the drama. Would so many people have died forty years ago? “Asks Jean Jouzel.

The artificialization of the land prevents water from infiltrating the soils, which no longer play their role of sponge, increasing the risk of flooding.

With information from AFP

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