Federal President Steinmeier calls for "quick and uncomplicated help" - with Tesla and SpaceX, two Elon Musk heavyweights are now following this request and are active in the flood area.
In addition to the state and private individuals, companies are increasingly offering their help in dealing with the flood disaster. Triggered by the low "Bernd", huge masses of water destroyed the livelihoods of thousands of people and permanently damaged the economy and infrastructure. There have been dead and injured, and many still miss their loved ones. Areas in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate are affected, but also regions close to the border in Belgium and the Netherlands.
At the same time, the country is also experiencing a wave of solidarity.
In addition to the official institutions, many private individuals also help, for example by donating in kind or in cash.
Large companies are now also taking action and helping to deal with the consequential damage.
In addition to appeals for donations via social media and donations to aid organizations, companies use their know-how to provide material support.
The Obi hardware store chain is giving away shovels, brooms and buckets to helpers, while Procter & Gamble subsidiaries (“Pampers”, “Gillette”) deliver hygiene items and offer accommodation for helpers on site.
Elon Musk: His companies help in crisis areas
With Elon Musk and the e-car pioneer Tesla *, one of the best-known companies in the world is now also involved in flood relief.
The group informed Tesla owners in the flood areas by e-mail and offered them free charging options at Tesla's own “Supercharger” stations.
This offer is not only aimed at Germans affected, free charging should also be possible in the regions in Belgium and the Netherlands that have been hit by the storm.
There have been similar offers from Tesla in the past.
At the beginning of the corona pandemic, Tesla exempted all superchargers in China from the obligation to pay, after the hurricane "Irma" in September 2017 in the USA, the full battery capacity was unlocked for Tesla drivers via software update, even if they did not pay for it .
In addition to Tesla, another Elon Musk company offers help. As the Rhineland-Palatinate government announced on July 20, Starlink satellite dishes will be set up at 35 locations in the flood area in order to easily supply the local population with Internet. Residents and helpers can easily log in there via WiFi after the Internet and Moil radio connections collapsed in many places. Starlink is a satellite network operated by the space company SpaceX, which in the future will bring the Internet to regions that are difficult to access around the world. * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN-MEDIA.