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Five years after the Ahrtal flood: District administrator calls for apology
🇩🇪 Germany /Disasters & Emergencies

Five years after the Ahrtal flood: District administrator calls for apology

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Named sources Context piece
  • Five years after the devastating flood, the district administrator of Ahrweiler, Cornelia Weigand, still feels its impact.
  • Weigand, who lost her home in the flood, recalls telling flood victims that no help would come as they were swept away.
  • The reconstruction in the Ahrtal valley is ongoing and described as Germany's largest construction site, but many residents still await an apology from the state government.

Five years after the catastrophic flood ravaged the Ahrtal valley, the impact of the disaster continues to resonate deeply, according to Cornelia Weigand, the district administrator of Ahrweiler. "I experience thunderstorms more carefree than I do today," Weigand shared in an interview, noting that many residents likely feel the same.

I experience thunderstorms more carefree than I do today. I believe that is the case for very many people.

— Cornelia WeigandDistrict administrator of Ahrweiler, reflecting on the lingering psychological impact of the 2021 flood.

Weigand, who was the mayor of the Altenahr municipality at the time, lost her own home to the 2021 floodwaters. She recounted the harrowing experience of being on the town hall balcony, able to make calls, and having to tell desperate flood victims that help was not coming as their homes and lives were washed away. The following morning revealed the full extent of the destruction and the grim task of recovering the first bodies.

On that evening on the balcony of the town hall, where I could still make mobile phone calls, I had to tell callers: There will be no help. And those people and their houses were washed away.

— Cornelia WeigandRecalling the immediate aftermath of the flood and her inability to provide assistance.

Despite the immense personal loss and the subsequent challenges, Weigand stated that "giving up was not an option." She actively advocated for aid, writing an open letter to then-Chancellor Angela Merkel and former Minister-President Malu Dreyer. "We needed help, and immediately and in large quantities," she emphasized, driven by the loss of neighbors, friends, and homes.

Giving up was not an option for me, because I knew why I was doing it: We lost so many people, many neighbors, many friends, the homes of so many - some came away with nothing but their bare survival.

— Cornelia WeigandExplaining her motivation to push for aid and recovery efforts.

The reconstruction efforts in the Ahrtal are ongoing and described as "Germany's largest construction site," with significant investment being made. However, Weigand acknowledged the understandable impatience of residents. Crucially, many are still seeking an apology from the state government of Rhineland-Palatinate. Weigand believes such an apology would be a "significant signal" that people in the valley have longed for, not necessarily an admission of guilt, but a recognition of the state's role in the catastrophe.

It is the largest construction site in Germany. More is being built and more money is being spent here than anywhere else in Germany. And that also takes a little time, despite all the speed.

— Cornelia WeigandDescribing the scale and pace of the reconstruction in the Ahrtal valley.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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