Germany’s government sent thousands of soldiers to help the cities and towns to cope with the flooding from the Danube and other southern rivers. The chancellor Angela Markel went to each flooded region in Germany and pledged $134,980,000 in immediate federal help. 5000 German soldiers, 2000 federal disaster workers and 700 federal police helped sandbag the cities that were in danger of flooding and to give other assistance. German soccer teams have also contributed: Borussia Dortmund donated 100,000 Euros, while Bayern Munich organized a benefit match for the victims of the flood. Only 8 people died because of the floods in Germany.
Many volunteers, including soldiers and also the government picked up 35,000 cubic meters of rubbish from the different town around the Danube River. Humanitarian services and the federal police and soldiers only worked for 4 weeks until the damaged caused by the flood was almost invisible.
In Saxony state, after the 2002 massive flood, authorities developed 47 flood protection schemes. Levees were reinforced and reservoirs were built. The state invested 1.7 billion Euros in flood protection, yet they town still suffers a lot from this natural disaster. Around the southeastern towns of Germany new dikes were built as well as new retaining walls but unfinished flood protection constructions around the states may have increased the level of damage in all of them.
Magazine / FEB 2014 5