This week, there was hype going on with the Ahr Valley region (western side of Germany, Pfalz/NRW states, where flooding occurred two months ago).
To lay the landscape.....there's a valley region where the Ahr River runs through it. The 'walls' of this valley really aren't that far apart. Along the path of this small river.....a couple dozen villages lay. So on this one summer day....heavy rainfall occurred (micro-burst would be the better term to use). Lot of rain....a front that moved very slowly.....drainage only leading to the Ahr River....marginal warnings given.....and a flood of five to six meters occur (16 to 20 feet above normal levels).
Massive damage, deaths, and a mess which probably will take a minimum of five years (some even suggest ten years).
So the chatter has started up that maybe you should only rebuild in safe areas, and maybe the government should 'acquire' any property in the new flood zone.....paying off the residents, and forcing change upon the community (whether they like it or not).
This talk.....is basically settling on the idea that you have to expect in the future the potential of 5-to-6 meters of flood being possible. But if you go this far just in the Ahr Valley.....what about the rest of Germany?
The plain truth is.....a micro burst in any of a thousand communities would deliver the same effect.
Is all of this leading to some magnificent German vision that billions need to be spent....to hinder or prevent the micro burst scenario? More or less, and you just have to wonder where the money comes from....to fund 'saving ourselves'.
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