Floods in Europe<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Europe, officials continue to find more bodies as floodwaters drop across affected areas of Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. So far, 164 are confirmed dead and hundreds are missing in the affected areas of Germany. At least 31 people died in Belgium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The rains that led to last week\u2019s floods were expected. However, politicians and weather forecasters were shocked by the amount of rain and the powerful, sudden floods that it caused. Warnings of danger came too late for many people living along Germany\u2019s rivers. Local officials described the weather event as \u201can explosion of the water\u201d that destroyed buildings, electricity, and cell phone networks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At one point, water went over the top of the Steinbach Reservoir dam in North Rhine-Westphalia state causing fear that the dam might break. It did not. The state governor said the dam was designed for a risk that might happen once every 10,000 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was exceeded<\/strong> in the last few days,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wim Thiery, a professor at Brussels University, spoke to the Associated Press Friday. He said of the flooding, \u201cThere is a clear link between extreme precipitation<\/strong> occurring<\/strong> and climate change.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n