After the floods: Germany’s Ahr valley then and now – in pictures

A flood-damaged bridge on the Ahr river in the village of Rech in the Ahr valley. Photograph: Michael Probst/AP

The dramatic floods of 14 and 15 July 2021 killed more than 220 people in Europe, leaving a trail of destruction in Germany and Belgium, and damage in the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland. Western Germany was worst-hit by the flooding. The state of Rhineland-Palatinate registered 49 deaths, while North Rhine-Westphalia said 135 were killed. The total cost of the damage in Germany is estimated to be more than €30bn (£25bn).

In Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, residents are still waiting for the return of normal life a year after the devastation of deadly flash flooding.