Ahr Valley flood risk recalculated: When the Ahr could flood again

Five years after the catastrophic flood of July 14, 2021, studies are reassessing the likelihood of extreme weather events in the Ahr Valley. The German Weather Service had warned of heavy rainfall days before, but no experts predicted the disaster, the worst natural catastrophe in over 200 years. On July 13, rain began, and by the morning of July 14 it was pouring. The nearest meteorological station in Prüm measured 125 liters per square meter, more than double the normal July rainfall. The first half of 2021 had already been unusually wet in the Eifel region, saturating the soil. The article discusses how such risks are now being recalculated and what protection is needed.