- Aid for flood victims in Karlsruhe
The police is cleaning the streets with water cannons after the floods. A janitor is cooking for those who can't prepare warm food at home. A group from the KSC is lending a hand. Three days later, cleanup and work on the aftermath continue in the flooded areas in the district of Karlsruhe. The city of Bruchsal reported that almost all streets are reconnected to the power grid. In the municipality of Gondelsheim, waste disposal is being accelerated. "No street and no one will be forgotten."
"Horrible Mess"
Gondelsheim's mayor Markus Rupp reported on the municipality's website about a "storm of almost biblical proportions". The river Saalbach rose dramatically in a short time on Tuesday evening, with 130 liters of rain per square meter falling from an unyielding thunderstorm cell. "That was a horrible mess, for which there is hardly any protection in my view," wrote the SPD politician. Flood protection is not a static structure.
Christoph Schnaudigel (CDU), the Karlsruhe district administrator, was shocked by the extent of the devastation during a tour through Gondelsheim, Rupp described.
To remove the mountains of waste as quickly and unbureaucratically as possible, they decided to set up more containers, where household waste, such as from broken freezers, can now be disposed of in addition to bulky waste. As soon as a container is full, it should be replaced by a new one, it was said. "The replacement should take place in front of the already existing container, so that the disposal convoy moves through Gondelsheim."
Still much to do
The mayor thanked the numerous, often volunteer helpers. The many offers must be coordinated. He had alone 250 calls, WhatsApp messages or emails on his phone.
For example, food is being offered in the Saalbach hall over the weekend. Around 100 dehumidifiers will be distributed to those affected. However, Rupp also made it clear that there is still a lot of work to be done. "For that, we all need patience."
The consumer center announced free on-site consultations to assess the damage to heating and facade. If the heating needs to be replaced, the energy advisors will provide an overview of technically sensible solutions and funding opportunities. "If the facade is damaged, the experts will advise on how to dry out and energy-efficiently renovate the building."
The cleaning of waste in Gondelsheim is being expedited to handle the excess caused by the floods, including items from broken freezers. This is being achieved by setting up more waste containers, with a new one replacing a full one in an efficient manner.
Despite the efforts made by numerous volunteers and the distribution of resources like food and dehumidifiers, Rupp, the mayor of Gondelsheim, acknowledges that there is still a significant amount of work required to fully recover from the floods.
In other words, extra waste containers are being used to manage the flood-related waste and the cleanup process is ongoing, requiring patience and cooperation from all involved.
