Germany Almost two million people affected by storms

According to EU Commissioner Janez Lenarcic, almost two million people have been affected by the flooding in parts of Europe over the past few days.

"Three to four times the average monthly rainfall has fallen in just a few days", said the top politician responsible for crisis prevention in a speech at the European Parliament in Strasbourg. As a result, rivers such as the Danube had risen to a level that had not been reached for a century.

This tragedy is not an anomaly. It is quickly becoming the norm for the future, said Lenarcic. More protection is needed. "Every euro invested in prevention and preparedness usually returns between two and ten euros in avoided losses, response costs and other benefits," said the EU Commissioner.

"Climate change is here, it affects us all, in the form of floods, fires and droughts," said Terry Reintke, Chair of the Green Group in the European Parliament. Between 1980 and 2022, extreme weather and climate events have already caused damage estimated at 650 billion euros (611 billion Swiss francs) in the EU Member States.

SDA