In the Ahr valley, the river has once again become a calm and quiet watercourse. However, in this region of western Germany, many residents are still shocked by the significant rise in water levels which killed 134 people on the night of July 15, 2021. A year later, they are struggling to feel safe. safety in a region historically prone to heavy flooding, and where approximately 9,000 homes were destroyed by the floods.
Martina and Heiko Mattschall are among those, assures the time. For the newspaper, this couple of restaurateurs in their forties could be considered, along with others, as the “Germany’s first climate refugees”. After the summer floods, they cleared the mud from their home, installed new windows, changed the plaster and even chose a new fitted kitchen. Until Martina Mattschall collapsed in tears. “She couldn’t go back to that house,” she told her husband. [Elle avait] so scared q