Efforts to find any more victims and clean up the mess across a swath of western Germany, eastern Belgium and the Netherlands continued Monday as floodwaters receded. At least one person reported dead in Bavaria, parts of which saw heavy rain and flooding over the weekend. Federal and state authorities faced criticism from opposition politicians for allegedly failing to warn citizens of the impending disaster, which came ahead of a national election in September. Germany doesn't have a text messaging system for disaster warnings, but Schuster told Deutschlandfunk radio it is exploring the possibility. Two brothers weep in each other's arms in front of their parents' house, which was destroyed by the flood in Altenahr, Germany, on Monday.

Source: CBC News July 19, 2021 13:52 UTC