Steinmeier and Merz join Ahr Valley survivors on fifth anniversary of flood that killed more than 180
Five years after the Ahr Valley flash flood killed more than 180 people, Germany's highest officials gather in the hardest-hit towns for a day of remembrance, reflection on the slow rebuild, and solidarity with survivors.
The flash flood that tore through Germany's North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate on the night of 14 to 15 July 2021 remains one of the most severe natural disasters in post-war German history. Heavy rainfall turned the Ahr River into a deadly torrent. More than 180 people lost their lives, 136 in Rhineland-Palatinate and 49 in North Rhine-Westphalia. On the fifth anniversary, flags flew at half-mast across the region and the country's highest political leaders travelled to the affected areas for a day of remembrance, reflection, and solidarity.
A valley scarred by water
In the municipality of Altenahr, 33 residents died. The water damaged 520 of the area's 660 houses, leaving a landscape of grief and forced fresh starts for survivors. Five years on, some of those residents are stepping in front of a camera. A photo exhibition titled "We Ahr Strong. Fünf Jahre, ein neuer Blick" opens at noon in Altenahr, presenting portraits of people from the region alongside their stories of what helped them endure, what makes them proud, and what visions they hold for the future.
We are here to show that the country has not forgotten you.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier will open the exhibition. Rhineland-Palatinate Minister-President Gordon Schnieder and Deputy Minister-President Sabine Bätzing-Lichtenthäler will also be in attendance. In the afternoon, the community will hold a church service to remember the dead. Interior Minister Achim Schwickert is among the expected guests.
The deadliest ground
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler bore the heaviest human toll of any single municipality. More than half of the 135 people killed in the Ahr Valley were found there; 65 were residents of the city. The flood destroyed bridges, roads, houses, and sports facilities. At the Ahrweiler cemetery, President Steinmeier will lay a wreath in memory of the victims.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz is scheduled to visit a municipal construction site in the city. He will speak with young volunteers from the Ahr Valley and local business owners about the ongoing reconstruction. After the site visit, Merz and Schnieder will join a public memorial ceremony on the market square in Ahrweiler. The Chancellor will deliver a speech, as will the Minister-President.
The reconstruction here is a monumental joint effort. We honour the dead by continuing to rebuild.
Heritage lost and remembered in Erftstadt
Across the state border in North Rhine-Westphalia, the flood left its own deep scars. In Erftstadt, the raging water caused a gravel pit to collapse, triggering a landslide that tipped several houses into the water. Part of the historic castle also crumbled during the flood. The state parliament president, André Kuper, recently remarked that the wounds of the storm are still visible in the towns and villages today.
A joint memorial event organized by the state parliament and the state government will take place, and President Steinmeier will be present. The flood caused material damage of approximately 13 billion euros in North Rhine-Westphalia, concentrated in the Eifel, the Bergisches Land, and parts of the Sauerland region. The day's schedule demonstrates both the national significance of the 2021 catastrophe and the enduring reality that rebuilding is far from complete.
