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Personal accounts from those affected
When we arrived in Sinzig with the first group on July 17, 2021, we realized that no video recording could capture the extent of this catastrophe. Everything was covered in mud and dust, houses were destroyed, and cars, caravans, and other vehicles had been swept away by the flood. The water reached above the door frames on the ground floor of most houses.
We spent two weeks with our group in this area, clearing out basements and shoveling mud and water. The people were very grateful for the help they received. They are often on their own or too old to remove these amounts of mud. Currently, they also lack the financial resources to fully repair the damage. Most of those affected were not insured against flooding and are now left with nothing. They have lost everything. A young woman whose basement we cleared told us that the clothes she was wearing at that moment were all she owned.
Our tasks in the first two weeks
After most of the basements were cleared of mud and furniture, we began the demolition work. Now we're moving forward. The people need to be provided with refrigerators, kitchens, and washing machines. Hygiene products and food are also needed. Currently, the residents are receiving regular deliveries of tap water in rainwater barrels, which they can use for washing. A few portable toilets have been set up.
The villages have no electricity, water, or gas. People are currently being provided with free food and drinks, but no one knows for how long. Most people have lost their cars. Shops are also affected and cannot open.
The information from July 31st stated that it would take a few more weeks until electricity was restored. If all goes well, the people there will have gas by the end of December, but will still need heating appliances for the cold season.
Personal accounts from those affected
On Monday, we cleared out a house where a dead woman had been found in the garage a few hours earlier. The garage door had been blocked by mud and had been forced open.
On Tuesday, we helped a family whose 78-year-old mother had briefly gone down to the cellar on the day of the flood. As she rushed back upstairs, a cabinet toppled over due to the floodwaters, trapping her. The water quickly rose to her neck, and she was unable to free herself. Her daughter noticed what had happened and cried for help so loudly that three men arrived while the floodwaters were still rising and pulled the woman from the mud.
We saw this woman during our rescue operation. Her arms were covered in bruises from the rescue. Her daughter couldn't explain how the men had managed to save her despite the flood.
While we were still clearing out this house, the body of a 6-year-old child, who had been washed up by the flood, was recovered from the neighboring house.
On Wednesday, we helped at a house whose owner had been pulled from the water at the last moment by a neighbor. They had to listen to the death cries of the neighbors who, sadly, did not survive. Many people have told us similar stories of witnessing their neighbors lose their lives.
We also spoke with an elderly lady, let's call her Mrs. Sonntag. She told us that she and her husband had fled to the upper floor during the flood. When they looked outside, they saw their neighbors standing in front of the door, locked out by the rising water. The water kept rising. They called for help but had nowhere to go. When the water was up to their necks, Mrs. Sonntag's husband ran downstairs and forced the door open with all his might, while Mrs. Sonntag held onto him by the waistband. The neighbors pulled themselves along the banister and the fence into their house, where they were all able to escape.
The people in this area are completely distraught and often see no point in the future. We had to listen to some of them tell us personally that they would have taken their own lives if the volunteers hadn't encouraged them. People lack support, courage, and confidence. They are afraid of being left alone once most of the work is done.
Christina Dai,
Municipality of Güllesheim