More than 100 people were pronounced dead and hundreds more are still missing in western Europe as tutorial rains hit the area.
The rainstorm was considered the worst natural disaster in Europe in living memory.
The heavy rains caused rivers to burst their banks and wash away buildings in Belgium and Germany.
Homes and streets in the Netherlands and Switzerland also flooded.
Dozens of Deaths Reported
At least 93 people have died in Germany, including nine people with disabilities. Local authorities who say the toll could rise further.
In Belgium, 12 people were pronounced dead.
France, the Netherlands and Switzerland have also been hit by flooding. No casualties are declared till time of writing.
Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was in Washington for a meeting with US President Joe Biden, said in a statement that she was “shocked by the catastrophe that so many people in the flood areas have to endure”.
“My sympathy goes out to the families of the dead and missing. My heartfelt thanks go to the many tireless helpers and emergency services,” she added.
European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen wrote on Twitter on Thursday morning that the bloc “is ready to help” and that countries impacted by the floods can call on the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
“My thoughts are with the families of the victims of the devastating floods in Belgium, Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands and with those who have lost their homes.”
Climate scientists, who have long predicted that human emissions would cause more floods, heatwaves, droughts, storms and other forms of extreme weather, expressed surprise by the latest spikes.
“I am surprised by how far it is above the previous record,” Dieter Gerten, professor of global change climatology and hydrology at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, said. “We seem to be not just above normal but in domains we didn’t expect in terms of spatial extent and the speed it developed.”
