Dozens Of People Died In Severe Floods In Western Europe, Expert: Highest Rainfall In A Century

JAKARTA - At least 55 people have died in severe flooding in Western Europe, caused by what experts describe as the heaviest rainfall in a century.

In Germany, about 1,300 people are "assumed" to be missing in the Ahrweiler district, which is in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, local authorities said.

Flash floods swept across the west and south of the country, causing buildings to collapse, local police said Thursday, July 15.

Germany was worst hit with 49 people killed, while six people died in Belgium. Luxembourg and the Netherlands were also affected.

"In some areas we haven't seen this much rainfall in 100 years," Andreas Friedrich, a spokesman for the German weather service, told CNN.

"In some areas we have seen more than double the amount of rainfall causing flooding and unfortunately some structures have collapsed."

The German territories of North Rhine-Westphalia, Rhineland-Palatinate and Saarland were worst affected, Friedrich added.

Total extreme rainfall was observed Wednesday through Thursday morning across much of western Germany and the Benelux region, with North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate seeing the highest total rainfall, according to CNN Meteorologist Brandon Miller.

This wide swath of the state sees total 24-hour rainfall between 100-150 mm (3.9-5.9 inches), which represents more than one month of rainfall in the region.

Meanwhile, Cologne recorded 154 mm (6 inches) of rainfall in just the 24 hours ending Thursday morning, nearly double the monthly average for July of 87 mm (3.45 inches).

In North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state, 30 people were found dead, a spokesman for the state government said. According to the spokesman, at least 50 people were also injured in the floods and the number of people missing was not clear.

In Rhineland-Palatinate, at least 19 people were found dead, but that number is expected to rise, a police spokesman in Koblenz said. As of Thursday morning in the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler district, more than 1,000 police and emergency workers were called, local authorities said.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is on an extraordinary visit to the United States, said the deadly floods that hit parts of her country were catastrophic.

"Here in Washington, my thoughts are always with the people of our homeland," Merkel said at a news conference on Thursday ahead of her meeting with President Joe Biden.

"Places of peace are experiencing disaster at this hour, one could say tragedy. Heavy rain and flooding are very inadequate words to describe this -- therefore a total disaster," he said.

Merkel said the focus now was on rescue and immediate response to those affected by the floods. Merkel also said she had coordinated with Finance Minister Olaf Scholz to develop a long-term financial assistance strategy to help the recovery.

"I am sorry for those who lost their lives in this disaster - we don't know these numbers yet but there will be many," Merkel said.

Heavier local rains resulted in extreme flash floods. In Reifferscheid, an incredible 207 mm (8.1 inches) of rain fell in just nine hours, according to the European Severe Weather Database.

In Belgium, at least six people died in flooding in the southern region of Wallonia, CNN affiliate RTBF reported Thursday, citing judges serving in the Verviers prosecutor's office and the governor of Liège province.

Wallonia is bordered by North Rhine-Westphalia. The floods have also disrupted Belgium's national rail network, Infrabel, halting service in the south of the French-speaking country, the company said in a statement.

King Philippe of Belgium visited the town of Chaudfontaine, in the province of Liège, after it was hit by severe flooding, with Italy having started sending search crews and vehicles to Wallonia, Italy's Civil Protection agency said in a statement.

"We are really touched by the severity of the disaster. Our thoughts go out to the victims, their families and everyone who had to be evacuated in an emergency from the disaster area," said Philippe.

Like Italy, workers from the French Civil Protection Agency arrived in the Belgian province of Liege to help with recovery and rescue efforts.

The European Union is also activating a civil emergency response mechanism to assist flood-hit areas of Belgium, the European Union Commission said Thursday in a statement.

"Belgium, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Germany can count on the EU's help to deal with this dramatic flood. My thoughts are with the victims of this tragic event and with all those who have to rebuild what has been lost. I want to thank all the rescue teams for their help. invaluable and relentless efforts," EU Council President Charles Michel wrote on Twitter.

Separately, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted an offer of support to flood-hit countries.

"Shocking to see catastrophic flooding in Germany, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Belgium. My thoughts are with the families of the victims and all those affected. The UK stands ready to provide whatever support is needed in the rescue and recovery efforts," tweeted PM Johnson.

In the Netherlands, the City of Maastricht has asked residents of the Heugem and Randwyck districts to leave their homes as soon as possible, due to rising waters in the Meuse river.

"The water in the Meuse is rising rapidly. We expect the water to cross the pier at Randwyck/Heugem around 3am. This means the water will end up in the streets and houses," Maastricht City Council wrote in a statement.

With climate change, warmer air holds more water vapor. The extreme rainfall is the result of a slow-moving area of low pressure, which allows a conveyor belt of warm and humid air to trigger strong thunderstorms and bring heavy, long-lasting rainfall, according to Germany's national weather service, DW.