"Surreal, Eerie Situation": German Chancellor Angela Merkel Visits Flood-Affected Areas

German Chancellor Angela Merkel walked through the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state, one of the two hardest-hit regions in western Germany.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday that she was horrified by the "surreal" devastation in the flood-ravaged region of Germany, as the count in western Europe reached at least 184 people dead with dozens still missing. Wearing hiking boots and offering pandemic-safe fist bumps to rescue workers, the veteran leader walked through the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state, one of the two hardest-hit regions in western Germany. Merkel, who is retiring from politics after September's elections, listened to the accounts of residents where the swollen Ahr river swept away houses and left debris piled high in the streets. "It is a surreal, eerie situation," a visibly shaken Merkel told reporters, as she pledged quick aid to rebuild.