Five Years After the Floods in Hagen

In collaboration with the Arbeiterwohlfahrt’s flood relief service and the city’s environmental agency, the FernUniversität in Hagen issued an invitation to interested parties to attend the lecture. More than 200 participants attended the lecture series organized by the Energy, Environment, and Sustainability research group on Wednesday evening, either in person in the packed Hagen City Council chamber or online from home. Science Meets Government and Politics. Volunteers who were involved in rescue and cleanup operations at that time talked with residents who had been affected by the floods.

To what extent is climate change responsible for extreme weather events? How can I protect my home from heavy rain and the effects of flooding? What should I do if there is a flood? And how do I help my children process what they’ve experienced? There were lively discussions during the main session and at the information stands.

Meteorologist Dr Miriam Wagner-Jacht from the German Weather Service took the participants on a brief tour through climate research with her talk entitled ‘Torrential Rain and Heatwaves – Is Climate Change to Blame?’ She concluded by looking back on the flooding of 13 and 14 July, 2021, when Storm Bernd unleashed exceptionally heavy and persistent rainfall over the course of just a few hours. Climate change has increased the likelihood and intensity of extreme weather events. “Climate change doesn’t just affect average temperatures; it is triggering extreme weather events, even in Germany,” said the climate researcher.

The fire department, the environmental agency, and charitable organizations provided some local perspectives and emotional moments while looking back on the 2021 floods. “Providing quick, straightforward help to those affected was the top priority for the charity organizations,” said Susanne Jakoby from the AWO Hagen-Märkischer regional flood relief team, for example. “To this day, we stand by those affected.”

Debris and flooded streets, homes filled with sludge, and a huge outpouring of support: A display of photographs by Heike Thomese-Osthoff, a resident of Hagen, in the foyer brought back memories not only of the terrible disaster but also of the unity and solidarity shown by the people of Hagen. “ The flooding hit many people hard; some have lost everything. But the most impressive thing I saw in the days that followed, – among those affected and those helping them – was courage, solidarity and hope,” said the photographer. “That’s exactly what I wanted to show through my photos.”

The evening was all about sharing ideas. Even five years after the heavy rains in Hagen, recovery efforts are still ongoing. FernUni continues to engage with interested parties on the topics of climate change and sustainability. During the next lecture in the series on 10 June, Prof. Dr. Christian Grabau delivered a talk with the title “Learning to Live Differently. Transformative Education for Sustainable Development in an Age of Multiple Crises.”

From the Welcoming Remarks

“The 2021 floods clearly showed us that the people of Hagen stick together. I was deeply moved by the solidarity shown by the public in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. At the same time, we as a city have been working intensively ever since on flood protection plans as well as environmental and climate protection measures that will ensure that we are better prepared for future events.”

Dennis Rehbein, Mayor of Hagen