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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 12, 2013 19:50:32 GMT
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Post by fgrsk8r1970 on Jun 12, 2013 20:35:11 GMT
It's terrible, i've been following it and thankfully where my dad lives things are ok (knock on wood)
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Post by Deleted on Jun 12, 2013 20:42:29 GMT
We've been watching it on the news in France for the last couple of weeks, when the French flood threats finally receded in the Pyrénées and in Alsace. About 10 years ago, there were floods that severe in eastern France, but it is always dreadful to see entire cities sitting in water with no idea when the situation will end.
Picture #23 is hair raising, when you think of how impossible it would be to sleep at night when faced with such a situation.
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Post by lagatta on Jun 13, 2013 1:09:45 GMT
Yes, it is terrible. My friends in that region are ok, but obviously a lot of humans and other fauna and flora aren't. The poor deer!
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 13, 2013 2:26:39 GMT
Besides the misery those affected are enduring now, they and probably all of Europe will be hit with higher food prices for some time to come.
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Post by rikita on Jun 13, 2013 19:44:18 GMT
i start getting the impression there are big floods almost every other year or so...
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Post by nautiker on Jun 23, 2013 11:42:39 GMT
probably all of Europe will be hit with higher food prices for some time to come. I'd say the effect on food prices will be barely notable, as for one thing the area affected was too small compared to the whole of Europe's agricultural areas, for another thing the price fights are pretty rough - most likely the farmers will have to foot the bill themselves. impact on infrastructure is considerable, though, the damage to streets, railroads etc will drain quite some funds (both local, state and federal)... p.s. after just watching the news about the current floodings in India, I'd say there's actually very little we should complain about over here.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 27, 2013 16:37:21 GMT
But without government aid, won't many of those farms fail? Yeah, what's happening in India is horrible, made worse by the difficulty of getting to some rural areas to render aid. mpact on infrastructure is considerable, though, the damage to streets, railroads etc will drain quite some funds (both local, state and federal)... Weeks of widespread flooding in Central Europe’s Danube and Elbe River Basins put the region’s flood defenses and disaster risk management plans to the test just 11 years after the deadly floods of 2002. While fewer deaths and improved protection of city centers are signs of progress, the economic costs of the disaster suggest that current plans remain insufficient. ... Still, economic losses could total nearly $US 16 billion in Germany ... according to Fitch Ratings—a 130 percent increase from 2002. Other estimates put the bill even higher. <-- click quote for full articlei start getting the impression there are big floods almost every other year or so... You may be right, Rikita. This article is entitled "Floods Are Here to Stay", although it's mostly about Hungarian politics as they relate to flood response. The article quoted above more directly addresses climate change and flooding.
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Post by nautiker on Jun 27, 2013 21:05:46 GMT
thanks for linking to that article!
re: farms, I cannot say for all countries involved, as I'm not familiar with the detailed situation there, however afaik in that part of Germany most agriculture is being done by large farm businesses, I guess both them and individual farmers will get reimbursed to some extent.
yes, lots of homes and achievements have been ruined, however I don't know how many people involved will actually face lifetime homelessness or poverty. those billions are huge figures, yet IMO tell little about the amount of destruction that has happened - maybe the figures even encompass immaterial damages like loss of production or similar.
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Post by nautiker on Jun 29, 2013 21:09:35 GMT
Seems I have to (somewhat) swallow my words: news reports are that inflation in Germany in June is up 1,8% compared to May, and that the share of food has risen by 5,4% - however to the largest extent this is due to the miserable cold&wet spring we’ve had in general and only lesser due to the floods. I think it’s safe to say that this is still far from the price rises that hit disaster areas in poorer countries, though.
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Post by bixaorellana on Jun 29, 2013 21:57:31 GMT
Sounds as though you're right -- that the prices are only as affected as they might be any year by poor weather. Probably one uncounted cost of all of it is psychological, the discouragement even insured people might feel after being wiped out and seeing devastation all around them. Apparently the incidence of depression in New Orleans after Katrina was very high.
However, I used to live in a rural area of North Carolina, where one year the unrelenting rains wouldn't allow the farmers to plant. Those that tried to get into their fields to plow generally wound up having to abandon a tractor tilted in the mud. My husband asked one farmer if he wasn't really frustrated and upset. The man said no, that if a person couldn't take setbacks and disappointment, he shouldn't be farming.
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