Floods in Belgium: a year later, the pain still acute for the inhabitants of Pepinster

The sun is radiant, Thursday, July 14, at Pepinster (Belgium). However, a year ago, the city was under water. At the time, residents were pinned on a roof and firefighters unable to fight the force of the water. The disaster claimed 3,000 victims, or a third of the town. In this week of commemoration, several businesses are symbolically reopening their doors.

This is the case of Chantal Sybenhairdresser. A year ago, his hair salon was completely devastated. The flood took everything away. Today, she is making a new start, but she cannot forget. “These are images that come back to me regularly.she says. To Pepinsterthe inhabitants were traumatized. The town was the worst hit in Belgium, with six dead. A woman thus lost her 89-year-old mother. At the time of reconstruction, elected officials are learning the lessons of the past.