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12. August 2021 – 6:01 clock
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler (dpa / lrs) – Around four weeks after the flood disaster in the Ahr valley, helpers expect that a number of private helpers will soon have to move away and return to their workplaces. With a view of farmers removing sludge with tractors who are calling home the harvest, farmer Markus Wipperfürth told the German Press Agency: “I could imagine that 80 percent might move away.”
Helping building contractors would also have to earn money again and accept orders. However, there are also farmers who leave a tractor with a driver on their departure from the Ahr, added Wipperfürth. The Ahr flood helper and farmer from near Cologne recently raised 80,350 euros for the victims of the disaster by auctioning his baseball cap.
He described the problem that the removal from the waste disposal sites set up in the flood areas in the villages was not sufficient. “It always comes after what is dumped.” There would have to be more trucks driving. “The garbage would have to be distributed even more across Germany,” said the farmer.
In addition, there is still standing water in the Ahr Valley. Given the summer temperatures, this could lead to an increase in pathogens. “There are drone recordings that were made at night, and you can clearly see that the rat population has increased tremendously,” explained Wipperfürth.
Extreme heavy rain triggered a flood wave on the Ahr on July 14th and 15th and destroyed large parts of the narrow valley. Around 42,000 people are affected by the consequences. 141 died. According to the police, a few people may have died immediately before the flood for other reasons, such as in hospitals.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210812-99-811802 / 3
Source: DPA
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