‘This is terrifying: I want to say that the German language hardly knows words to describe the devastation.’ Germany’s Chancellor

Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel described the imagery she witnessed in the areas hardest hit by the devastating floods as surreal, according to Armenpress citing TASS.

“This is terrifying. I want to say that the German language hardly knows words to describe the devastation,” Merkel stated to reporters during her visit to the western town of Adenau on Sunday.

“We will support you. Federal and state authorities will work together to gradually restore everything in this beautiful place. This Wednesday, we, the government, will adopt a program to take urgent measures along with the region to address immediate needs, intermediate issues, and the restoration of infrastructure,” Merkel emphasized.

The Chancellor noted that the catastrophe in western Germany has underscored the necessity of paying greater attention to climate change issues. She pledged that the authorities would implement long-term policies “that take nature and climate more into account than has been the case in recent years.” “This will be necessary,” Merkel stated.

The head of the government promised to return to the disaster zone again at the end of August.

For her part, Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer mentioned that the search for the missing persons continues. According to her, a “large number” of residents from the severely affected Ahrweiler district have yet to be found.

This week, torrential rains that occurred from Monday in western and southwestern Germany led to severe flooding. The heavy rains caused the Rhine, Ahr, and Moselle tributaries, along with smaller rivers such as the Erft, Sauer, Prüm, Nims, and Kyll, to overflow their banks. The natural disasters have resulted in over 150 fatalities, primarily in the Rhineland-Palatinate federal state.