Belgians reeling after more heavy flooding rips apart streets, washes away cars

The town of Dinant, Belgium, was cleaning up on Sunday after itsheaviest floods in decades the previous dayturned streets into torrential streams that washed away cars and pavement but did not kill anyone.

Water became destructive torrent 'in less than 20 minutes,' local resident says

Thomson Reuters Posted: Jul 25, 2021 12:24 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 25, 2021

The townof Dinant, Belgium, was cleaning up on Sunday after itsheaviest floods in decades the previous dayturned streets into torrential streams that washed away cars and pavementbut did not kill anyone.

The flooding followed a two-hour thunderstorm, whichleft streets strewn with rubble, wrecked cars and thick mud.

Dinant was spared the deadly floods of 10 days ago that killed 37 people in southeast Belgium and many more in Germany, but the violence of Saturday's storm surprised many.

"I have been living in Dinant for 57 years, and I've neverseen anything like that," Richard Fournaux, the former mayor ofthe townon the Meuse river, said on social media.

Rainwater gushing down steep streets swept away dozens of cars, piling them in a heap at a crossing, and washed away cobblestones, pavementand whole sections of tarmac as inhabitants watched in horror from windows.

Local residents clean the mud covering the street in Namur, Belgium, on Sunday after heavy rainfall caused flooding the previous day. In mid-July, deadly floods hit Belgium and Germany and also caused damage in Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Switzerland. (Nicolas Maeterlinck/BELGA/AFP/Getty Images)

There was no precise estimate of the damage, with town authorities predicting only that it would be "significant,"according to Belgian RTL TV.

"In less than 20 minutes, the water rushed down from here, above, then it gradually grew larger. It became a torrent, and the torrent took all the cars away," said local resident Pierre Coleau.

Death toll from flooding in western Europe climbs above 180

Anotherresident, Andy Martinez, described the damage the flooding did to his home.

"Water rushed in, both in my living room and here, in the cellar, and from the two holes I have in the alleys. Everything rushed in and everything was swept away," Martinez said.

WATCH |Officials point to climate change after deadly floods in Europe:

Officials point to climate change after deadly floods in Europe

3 years ago

1:59

As officials tour the devastation from deadly floods in Germany and Belgium, experts are pointing to the role of climate change in heavy rains that led to the flooding.

Belgium's French-speaking region of Wallonia was hit the hardest by a renewed deluge coming only weeks after 37 people died in flash flooding.

The Belgian weather service RMI predicted further rain and issued thunderstorm warnings for Sunday.

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