As a sign of confidence and solidarity, the helpers' association "Elektroseelsorge (r)" is planning a "Festival of Lights" in the flood-damaged Ahr Valley on Saturday (October 30th).
In the river valley and in as many other places in Germany as possible, facades, walls and towers are to be illuminated in green in the evening, as co-organizer Norbert van der Koelen tells the German Press Agency.
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler - “We want to show solidarity everywhere and remind the population that the Ahr valley is still a crisis area,” he explains.
In the flash flood on July 14th and 15th, after heavy rain, 134 people were killed and thousands of houses destroyed or damaged.
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New Ahrtalradio in the flood area is allowed to broadcast longer
Media neighborhood help, information and music: the new local radio in the flood-damaged Ahr valley is allowed to broadcast longer.
VHF broadcasting, which began on September 4, can continue until January 2, 2022, as the Medienanstalt Rheinland-Pfalz in Ludwigshafen announced on Monday.
The renewed application of the Euskirchen radio maker Christian Milling for approval as an event radio in the Ahrweiler district was granted in an urgent procedure.
New Ahrtalradio in the flood area is allowed to broadcast longer
Ahr risk card: Almost all houses can be built
The flood on the Ahr killed 133 people.
Thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed.
A new flood map is intended to provide orientation for the reconstruction.
Experts expect floods in low mountain ranges to be more frequent.
Ahr risk card: Almost all houses can be built
Low mountain range: Greenpeace warns of deforestation after the flood
Two and a half months after the deadly flood in the Ahr valley, Greenpeace issued a warning against clearcuts and monocultures in the forests of the low mountain ranges.
Bare areas could have "long-term fatal consequences in the case of heavy rain and must be avoided because wooded slopes are much more stable," said the environmental organization.
Your forest expert Christoph Thies explained:
Low mountain range: Greenpeace warns of deforestation after the flood
According to van der Koelens, the donation-financed and voluntary association "Elektroseelsorge (r)" consists of around 220 electricians, telecommunications technicians and other volunteers from all over Germany, some of whom come to the Ahr Valley for some time.
They would get muddy and once soaked electrical devices such as drills, cordless screwdrivers, kitchen machines and heating devices working again, also with the help of blasted, surface-friendly dry ice.
So far, this has worked for around 1,800 devices used by flood victims and their helpers, also with the help of many donated tools.
"This is an average value creation of around 100 euros per device," explains organizer van der Koelen, who actually lives in Kevelaer in North Rhine-Westphalia and is a businessman.
The members of the "Elektroseelsorge (r)" are based in three containers in Walporzheim, a district of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler.
“We also have a field service that goes into buildings,” says van der Koelen.
There, too, repairs are being carried out - with even greater added value.
All work would be documented in writing and with photos.
dpa
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