Mr. Locke, you are the district administrator of the Rhein-Erft area. The area is particularly affected by floods. You have just stepped out of the crisis management team. How’s it going?
Fortunately, the water level is falling. The clean-up work in the affected area went from Erftstadt to Bedburg. However, in Blessem, the situation remains tense. Because this place has been evacuated, the edge has not stopped.
Blessem is an area in Erftstadt south of Cologne, where a gravel pit was flooded and several houses collapsed.
We have a big problem, the water continues to enter the basin through Erft. We must make sure to stop the influx. A dam will be built with heavy equipment and construction materials on Monday. Otherwise, it is still unsafe to disconnect the edge. It’s all locked and you can feel the residents—you can understand—want to go back. But there is still no electricity in the town. We still have a long way to go before a true return.
How do you imagine this process now: Will the infrastructure-such as bridges and roads-be restored first? How long will it take for places and houses to become liveable again?
We must build dams to ensure the situation on the ground. About 650 assistants and structural engineers are currently checking which houses in Blessem can be moved into as soon as possible. So that people can get back to some normal. So as to ensure that we will not be normal for a long time. Floods and floods have occurred throughout our region.
Do you have a preliminary damage assessment?
Do not. Those who lose their belongings suffer the most. The damage to the infrastructure cannot be measured, and it is too early. This will be the task for the next few weeks. The weather conditions divide Erftstadt into two parts. We formed a circle to see what the roads in our area looked like. It will take several months before the local infrastructure itself is built. Now the water must go everywhere. A61 was also destroyed and blocked, which is the main axis between the Netherlands and the South. Colleagues on the federal highway must reach the traffic intersection as soon as possible. A1 is also blocked in some places.
How does your crisis team communicate with municipalities, state governments, and the federal government?
Every city and every district has a crisis team. In the event of a disaster, the region took over the organization. We have approximately 35 experts from the authorities and municipalities working for Erft in the crisis team. We have two to four meetings a day to evaluate the situation. The difficulty is that we have many locations. More than just blessings. Despite the various technical possibilities, communication is sometimes difficult. But this is the situation in a crisis, these are dynamic processes.
Recently, 34 people are still missing. The Bundeswehr and THW recovered the vehicle on B265. Is there anyone there?
In the low altitude area of Luxemburger Strasse, as was said at the time, 61 vehicles were affected. But miraculously, no one was injured there. There is no death. However, due to the low-lying terrain of the rainwater reservoir, there is still uncertainty. It may be that the car is still submerged there.
Should citizens in the district get “small emergency assistance”? what does that mean?
We have a database of 1,500 people who helped. We connect it with people in need. The unity of the people in this area is tremendous. But we cannot use a lot of mineral water or winter sweaters now. People need donations.
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Federal President Frank Walter Steinmeier and Prime Minister Amin Rashet visited this weekend: What did they promise you?
In this case, the subject of commitment is of course difficult. You have promised us that you will make every effort to ensure that the help arrives. There is definitely support.
What do you expect from the state government and the federal government?
It would be great if people could not be helped by bureaucracy, even without large applications. Therefore, for residents who can prove their need, this will not be discussed for a long time. Their pain can be alleviated through compensation. In the long run, the huge challenge will be living space. Where can people go? That will keep us busy.
Has the crisis team figured out how this happened? Is Erft so destructive?
not yet. You cannot predict such a flood. The district government has a flood map for each river. Even the extreme conditions are not close to what we have experienced here. I never thought that the trickle of Erft would one day become so big. The problem is heavy rain.
What does this mean for future flood prevention work in the area?
Erft has some areas where you can escape during floods. But they are not enough. Lowlands are particularly affected. In some cases, half a meter has already determined whether you are getting wet. The water is always looking for its whereabouts.
