One of the places that has been worst hit by flooding in the past couple of days is the Flemish Brabant municipality of Affligem. There two houses have been evacuated and the residents of another 5 homes are having to live on the first floor of their houses until the flood water subsides.
Speaking just prior to a meeting between the municipal authorities and the various agencies involved in the flood relief effort, the Mayor of Affligem Walter De Donder told VRT News. "The water subsided a little yesterday, but we got another shower of heavy rain in the evening”.
The situation is worse in the village of Teralfene. "There, some streets are still flooded, they are not accessible by normal transport means and we have to go through by boat. Two homes have been evacuated, in about five homes residents are currently staying on the first floor. They have said they have everything they need for now, but this cannot continue for days. What worries me most is that those people have no sanitation. Today we are going to look at possibly getting those people out of their homes so that they can shower in the sports hall. We also have shelters ready. We are all set to provide accommodation if the people affected feel they need it."
Mayor highly critical
The Dender Valley is very susceptible to flooding, not only because it is a hilly area, but also because the locks and weirs on the Flemish stretch of River Dender are for a large part outdated. Mayor De Donder told VRT News that "In Wallonia they already have new dams. In our region people have been talking about doing something since 2010, but after all these years nothing has been done to the weirs between the border with Wallonia and Aalst."
"That this has not been a priority and we are now regretting it. It is clear that the locks and weirs now need to be addressed urgently."
Another issue is that a lot of houses in Affligem have been built in areas that are prone to flooding. According to figures from the provincial authorities in Flemish Brabant, 14% of house in Affligem are located in areas that are flood sensitive.
"In the past this was never taken into consideration when granting planning permission. Furthermore, local authorities were never sufficiently warned by those higher up to keep these areas free of buildings. Permission was granted and we can hardly chase those people out of their houses now", Mr De Donder said.
"4 hours on stage, 20 hours in Affligem"
Mr De Donder also answered the criticism that he had receive from some that he was performing on stage in Antwerp, while people’s homes in Affligem were being flooded. For more than 30 years, Mr De Donder, who is also an actor, has played “Meneer de burgemeester” (Mr Mayor) in the popular childrens TV show Samson. He is currently performing in a stage version of the show.
"I was on a stage for four hours yesterday and spent 20 hours in Affligem, there are no more than 24 hours in a day. I have been in constant contact with the municipality, and I have been able to follow the crisis meetings from a distance. I find this criticism in stark contrast to everything that is being done on the ground thanks to the good will of so many people. The criticism is also in contrast to the appreciation we get from a lot of residents", Mr De Donder concludes.