New photos show devastation in Western Europe as deadly flood waters begin to recede
Streets in Western Europe became raging torrents this week as floods trapped a yet-unknown number of people. Now that the waters have begun to recede, the death toll is rising past 150 as the destruction becomes increasingly visible.
In Germany, rescue efforts continue after people were found trapped when the ground gave away after the flooding. In the Blessem district, three houses and part of a mansion collapsed.
The deadly floods are just the latest of three recent disasters for the Netherlands, according to the caretaker Prime Minister.
“First, there was corona, now these floods, and soon people will have to work on cleanup and recovery,” Caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte said. "It is disaster after disaster after disaster. But we will not abandon Limburg,” the southern province hit by the floods. His government has declared the flooding a state of emergency, opening up national funds for those affected.
What to know: Flooding in Germany, Belgium kills over 125: Where it is, why it's happening
As of Saturday, the flooding is receding in most areas and the true damage is being seen.
Here are photos of the aftermath of the flooding that devastated Western Europe:
++ Eilmeldung ++ In #Erftstadt-Blessem sind Häuser massiv unterspült worden und einige eingestürzt. Es werden etliche Personen vermisst. Aus den Häusern kommen Notrufe, aber eine Rettung ist vielfach nicht möglich. Unser Katastrophenschutz ist vor Ort. Fotos: Rhein-Erft-Kreis pic.twitter.com/Waaq3tMciM
— BezirksregierungKöln (@BezRegKoeln) July 16, 2021
@wxjerdman Venlo normal vs Venlo today. #flooding #Netherlands #netherlandsfloods@JimCantore @AriWeather @JWatson_Wx @BonnieWeather pic.twitter.com/G3zDf8m3kG
— Ronaldo Wilbrink (@WXRonaldo) July 17, 2021
Just to show the scale of the massive #floods in western Europe, here you have the confluence of the rives Our and Sauer (which forms the 🇱🇺 🇩🇪 border). Left, the picturesque view in normal times. Right, a picture made by a family member just minutes ago.. pic.twitter.com/dRYxugGba4
— Paliparan (@PaliparanDotCom) July 15, 2021
Contributing: The Associated Press. Follow Gabriela Miranda on Twitter: @itsgabbymiranda
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Days after heavy flooding in Europe, photos show damage in cities