In Germany, early warning systems need to be improved and dangers communicated more clearly. This is the conclusion of a working group at the University of Potsdam. Immediately after the flood disaster in summer 2021, the working group asked those affected online how they had been warned about the flood.
This showed that 35% of respondents from North Rhine-Westphalia and 29% of respondents from Rhineland-Palatinate had not received any warnings at all. However, even those who had been warned did not expect such an extent of flooding (85%).
The Geography and Natural Risks Research Group headed by Professor Annegret Thieken from the University of Potsdam, Institute of Environmental Sciences and Geography, also criticizes the lack of recommendations from the media or official bodies. For example, a fact sheet shows that only 5 percent of respondents from the particularly hard-hit district of Ahrweiler can remember being informed about the life-threatening situation.
Source and further information: uni-potsdam.de/idw-online.de
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