Indersdorfer build emergency power supply

"The extent of the destruction is indescribable," says Ainhofner master electrician Roland Hamberger.

He answered a call for help and drove to the flood disaster area Ahrtal to help.

Only a maximum of 15 percent of the houses in Dernau are now supplied with electricity, and it is still questionable which houses can be restored at all, according to the helpers on site.

In many cases there is still a lack of running water 16 days after the disaster.

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Everything destroyed: the windows and furniture in the house are broken.

© ostermair

As Roland Hamberger further reports, the houses may only be put back into operation by specialists.

"There is now an emergency power generator in every second house," says Hamberger.

Sometimes “entire houses were torn away by the flood up to ten meters high, so that only floor slabs remained”.

For the emergency power supply, the helpers brought electrical equipment in containers from Ainhofen.

The many meters of cable and the many sockets that VfB Ainhofen made available for this purpose are normally required for the annual Caribic Night at the outdoor pool.

The people in the flood disaster area, who work day and night themselves, are very grateful, but their nerves are at the end.

Even if only emergency power generators are available, "these people want to go back to their houses because they are also attached to the completely destroyed belongings," says Hamberger.

Torn toilet bowls from the wall

He saw toilet bowls ripped out of the wall.

In almost all houses the screed has to be removed, an “unimaginable stench” is caused by the heating oil in the ceilings and walls.

There is now an organizational staff in Indersdorf to help further.

"Almost 40 people from the community support us wherever possible," says Hamberger, who is trying to send even more electricians from the market town of Indersdorf to the crisis area in alternation over the next four weeks.

His wish would be that “someone would provide a material transporter”.

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Even 16 days after the flood disaster, the cars are still completely muddy.

© ostermair

Because of the flood, many electrical wholesalers in the Ahr Valley and beyond are sold out and local shops "took the flood with it".

It is not to be thought of putting houses back into operation now, the important thing is first of all to rebuild the infrastructure.

The Ahr Valley Railway, an important connection, has been completely lifted off the rails.

For the helpers from all parts of the republic, it is "difficult to get a place to sleep because the locals are accommodated in the hotels in the area".

The local electrician Kevin Schüller “sent his family on vacation to accommodate the helpers from the market town of Indersdorf in his apartment,” says Hamberger.

The fear of being forgotten by politics

The great fear of the flood victims is that the longer the drama has gone, the longer they will be let down by politics.

Because of the approaching onset of winter, it is the aim of the helpers to restore the power supply without major gaps by the beginning of November.

Hamberger hopes that help will also be provided from the Dachau district with benefit events.   

Hamberger, who is also in talks with the BRK Dachau, has "already heard" several positive signals in this direction.

What particularly impressed the trio from the community of Indersdorf were refugees who don't have much themselves, but who provided the helpers in Dernau with food they had cooked themselves.

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