German Chancellor Olaf Scholz promised on Thursday that the state would help those affected by recent flooding in the south of the country, noting that the extent of the damage was significant.
"As with previous floods, we will assess the damage together with the federal states and organize help," Scholz pledged in a statement to the Bundestag, or lower house of parliament.
The chancellor also thanked everyone who had provided assistance. "We come together in times of need. That's the way it should be. That's Germany," he said.
Over the past days, several locations in the southern German states of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg have experienced the kind of rainfall that they statistically see only every 50 to 100 years. Six people have died in the flooding so far.
Scholz acknowledged that the federal and state governments needed to be better prepared for such disasters. He said coastal and inland flood protection would be improved.
Flood polders and retention basins must be established throughout the country, even if this is not popular, he noted. Progress was also being made on introducing natural disaster insurance, Scholz said, noting that he planned to discuss the issue with federal states on June 20.
"House and apartment owners must be able to insure themselves against damage caused by natural disasters," Scholz said.
Regular German building insurance covers storm and hail damage, but not flooding, while homeowners in flood-prone areas are often unable to obtain additional cover.
At present, the government usually steps in, costing the state millions of euros.
