Three years after the flood: Solingen is still struggling with the consequences!

Three years after the flood: Solingen is still struggling with the consequences!

On July 14, 2021, a violent storm surprised the city of Solingen during the night and left a trail of destruction behind. With record rainfall of up to 150 liters per square meter within 48 hours, the water flooded streets and flooded basements became a sad reality for many residents. Districts such as Unterburg, Kohlfurth, Müngsten and Ittertal were particularly hard hit. The fire department was in constant operation and received partial support from emergency services from other cities. Tragically, the flood disaster claimed one life while hundreds of volunteers pitched in to help clean up. According to the city's estimates, damage to public infrastructure amounts to around 30 million euros, with damage to bridges, landslides and roads among the biggest challenges. This was reported by the Solinger Tageblatt, which provided live information about the events and measures.

Reconstruction is a lengthy process. Caritas is now offering help to those affected by floods and supporting affected households to get back on their feet. While the city of Solingen is working on new concepts for better rainwater management and flood protection, a look back at the disaster shows that the flood situation is being exacerbated by global climate change. According to statistics, flood events have accounted for almost 37 percent of all natural disasters since 2000, and many people on the banks of large rivers, especially along the Rhine, will continue to be at risk in the coming years.

A difficult cleanup process

As the Solingen News reports, the operations of the fire department, the Technical Relief Agency (THW) and other organizations required around 650 operations in the city. Around 300 emergency services were active during the night to pump water out of flooded cellars in problem areas such as Unterburg, Rüden and Wipperaue and to repair the general damage that had occurred. On Saturday, two days after the storm, a powerful team of around 140 firefighters and THW employees worked, and volunteers were also actively involved in many places. The team of helpers overcame the challenge of supplying numerous households with electricity and gas again, while at the same time the municipal utilities disposed of the bulky waste and cleaned the streets.

A wake-up call for climate protection and flood prevention

The flood events have starkly highlighted how vulnerable our infrastructure and communities are to extreme weather. With the challenge of melting glaciers and increasingly frequent heavy rainfall, the need for consciously strengthened flood protection is becoming increasingly evident. Experts warn that the loss of natural flood plains, accompanied by increasing soil sealing, significantly increases the risk of flooding. In Germany, only two thirds of the original river floodplains are still intact, and eight percent of the total area is already sealed. These facts make it all the more important that the city and those responsible initiate decision-making processes that also consider sustainable solutions in order to arm themselves against the consequences of such disasters.

In summary, it can be said that the city of Solingen, shaped by the events of July 14, 2021, is not only driving forward reconstruction, but is also breaking new ground for effective flood management. These measures are intended to reduce future damage and enable sustainable development so that the citizens of Solingen can look to the future more safely and with a better feeling.