Soldiers of the German armed forces Bundeswehr search for flood victims in submerged vehicles on the federal highway B265 in Erftstadt, western Germany, on July 17, after heavy rains hit parts of the country, causing widespread flooding and major damage.
Mandatory Credit: Sebastien Bozon/AFP/Getty Images
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Deadly floods inundated parts of Europe, but the Netherlands avoided fatalities. Here's why
As communities devastated by the catastrophic flooding in parts of western Europe start picking up the pieces, they are wondering how it all went so wrong, so fast. After all, Europe has a world-leading warning system that issued regular alerts for days before floods engulfed entire villages.
