Veteran Swiss Meteorologist Calls Germany’s Natural Disaster Protection “A Failed State”

A veteran meteorologist calls Germany’s natural catastrophe management a “failed state” after over 200 people were killed despite warnings having been issued days early.

Swiss meteorologist Jörg Kachelmann slams Germany’s failure to heed early flood warnings. Image: Twitter.com/kachelmann

In an interview with the online Austrian Der Standard, veteran meteorologist Jörg Kachelmann said it was clear that meteorological warnings of devastating floods in Germany were known to the authorities at an early stage. Yet, over 200 died in the floods in a failure to evacuate on time.

Nothing has changed in years

“When nobody does anything, then there are lots of dead people,” said the Swiss meteorologist. And Kachelmann is not optimistic about Germany’s crusty old emergency management bureaucracy changing any time soon: “I have no doubt that nothing will change in this state of affairs, because nothing has changed for years and decades and many such events in the past.”

“Failed state”

He added: “Germany has long been a failed state when it comes to protecting people from natural catastrophes.” Kachelmann believes that under normal political conditions, the heads of North Rhine Westphalia and Rhineland Palatinate – and that of the regional network of ARD flagship German television – would have to resign.

He told Der Standard that it would be very worthwhile for German natural catastrophe prevention and management authorities to learn from the USA when it come to how to react to natural disasters, e.g. tornadoes and hurricanes.

It’s not the first time the seasoned meteorologist has railed against Germany’s ineptitude when it comes to issuing storm warnings. In 2018, he criticized German public television for what he said was a failure to adequately warn the public before North Sea storm Xavier barreled through northern Germany on October 5, killing 7 people.




11 responses to “Veteran Swiss Meteorologist Calls Germany’s Natural Disaster Protection “A Failed State””

  1. ren

    Already a few days ago I warned about another wave of heavy rainfall in western Germany. After the current storms, more can be expected around July 30.
    It seems to me that the circulation changes . The weakening of the circulation is associated with a very weak solar wind (weak solar wind magnetic field). This can be seen perfectly by the level of galactic radiation. Additionally, GCRs increase precipitation and discharge in the mid-latitudes.
    Heavy snowfall can be expected in the winter, which has been high in the northern hemisphere for the past two years.

  2. ren

    Please keep up to date on the lightning radar.
    https://map.blitzortung.org/#4.42/48.9/6.48

  3. Eben

    You can’t blame them, they were busy planning the new wind mill sites.

  4. Javier

    Pierre, perhaps you should run an article on solar activity effect on flood frequency in Central Europe.

    It is known that periods of low solar activity display increased frequency of flooding in Central Europe.

    Right now we are in a solar minimum of the 11-year solar cycle and a solar minimum of the 100-year solar cycle, so the risk is higher than it has been in about 90 years.

    You can start here:
    Solar modulation of flood frequency in central Europe during spring and summer on interannual to multi-centennial timescales
    M Czymzik, R Muscheler, A Brauer – Climate of the Past, 2016

    https://cp.copernicus.org/articles/12/799/2016/cp-12-799-2016.pdf

    In periods of low solar activity flood alerts have to be taken even more seriously.

  5. John F Hultquist

    ” learn from the USA when it come to how to react to natural disasters ”

    There are many volunteers ready with training and equipment that travel long distances into damage situations. I am only acquainted with K9 search and rescue teams and communications (think radio types) folks, but there are others.
    When there is complete reliance on governments for these things there is frequent failure.

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