Fueled by days of heavy rain, the floodwaters also left thousands of Germans homeless after their dwellings were destroyed or deemed to be at risk, and elected officials began to worry about the lingering economic effects from lost homes and businesses.
Elsewhere in Europe, dikes on swollen rivers were at risk of collapsing, and crews raced to reinforce flood barriers.
Sixty-three people perished in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, including 12 residents of an assisted living facility for disabled people in the town of Sinzig who were surprised by a sudden rush of water from the nearby Ahr River, authorities said.
Cifra de muertos por inundaciones en Europa rebasa los 160
Por GEIR MOULSON, Associated Press
July 17, 2021
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1of6El retroceso del agua deja a la vista los techos de los autos varados en una carretera anegada, en Erftstadt, Alemania, el 17 de julio de 2021. (AP Foto/Michael Probst)Michael Probst/APShow MoreShow Less
2of6Una excavadora retira los escombros durante las tareas de limpieza en Altenahr, Alemania, el sábado 17 de julio de 2021. (Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa vía AP)Philipp von Ditfurth/APShow MoreShow Less
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4of6Restos de casas y árboles rodean viviendas en Schuld, Alemania, el 16 de julio de 2021, dos dias después del desbordamiento del río Ahr por las fuertes lluvias. (AP Foto/Michael Probst)Michael Probst/APShow MoreShow Less
FAIRFIELD-SUISUN, CALIFORNIA
A worker, left, takes a picture of a destroyed area in Insul near Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, western Germany, on Saturday, July 17, 2021. Devastating floods in Germany and other parts of western Europe have been described as a catastrophe , a war zone and unprecedented , with more than 150 people dead and the toll still climbing. (Christof Stache/AFP/Getty Images/TNS)
German president thanks helpers as flood deaths across Europe rise above 150
BERLIN The number of people who have died in the devastating flooding in western Germany rose further on Saturday, while the president thanked rescue workers who continued to search for survivors.