It happened like this……I was back in New Zealand on vacation and someone picked up on the fact that – despite the bona fide accent – I wasn't local. "You must be from away, then" she said……..
Has to be changed, because it still reflects the anti-Semitic changes made in 1934 – “David” became “Dora”, “Nathan” became “Nordpol”.
There’s also a gender imbalance and a severe lack of ethnic and religious group representation.
“Doesn’t correspond to today’s reality of life”
So the Deutsche Institute für Normung – the folks who bring you DIN A4 size paper and DIN 931 hexagon bolts – is looking at replacing it all with city names, making sure that they’re equally spread between to eastern and western states.
Except that Saarland, Rheinland-Pfalz (us..) Bremen, Hamburg and Sachsen-Anhalt don’t get a look in.
This is Schuld, population of around 750 and about 90 minutes drive north from here.
Before.
After.
At some stage, Ahr river made an oxbow, the sediment solidified and over the last 1000 years folks built on it.
Precipitation of 200ml in less than 24 hours.
The river a bit further downstream went from under 1 metre to somewhere north of 6 metres. That’s when the level measuring device either lost power or was washed away.
And the river reverted to its old route through the village and washed away 6 houses.
Disappeared.
No trace.
Plus damage to every other property.
And this is just ONE village.
Over 100 dead and over 1000 missing, although we’re hoping that they’ll just be “uncontactable” with power out and cell towers down over the whole region.
We tried to deliver clothing and crockery to the local fire station for the 40′ truck they’d hired to get stuff to the thousands of people who have lost absolutely everything.
Full.
Next fire station.
Full.
Try again tomorrow.
Posted inBloody hell, True stories|Comments Off on If anyone’s wondering what the flooding looks like in Germany….
You Must Be From Away 
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