Merkel: Germany will spend what's needed to fix flood damage

Chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged that German authorities will provide however much money is needed to repair damage caused by devastating July floods

BERLIN -- Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged Friday that German authorities would provide however much money is needed to repair damage caused by devastating July floods, renewing promises for rapid help as she returned to the valley hit worst by the disaster. More than 180 people died in Germany and hundreds more were injured in the July 14-15 floods, which also claimed lives in neighboring Belgium. Heavy rainfall turned small streams into raging torrents, sweeping away houses, bridges and cars. The narrow Ahr valley, near Bonn in western Germany, suffered the most destruction. The German government quickly put in place a roughly 400 million-euro ($474 million) package of immediate aid for flood victims. Last month, it agreed to provide 30 billion euros ($36 billion) in longer-term aid to help rebuild the affected regions. Merkel said after visiting the town of Altenahr on Friday that the seven weeks since she first went to survey the flood damage had brought much progress but added, “I have a great deal of respect for what lies ahead of us."