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Belgium

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde rally around locals two months after devastating floods left 37 people dead

Two months after the devastating floods that hit central Europe, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of Belgium went back to the most affected areas to see the progress that has been made and discuss strategies for the future. 

On 15 September, Their Majesties arrived at Hotel de Ville in Verviers for an initial briefing on the current status of things in the area and the ongoing efforts to support the local population.

After the initial briefing, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde moved to Grand-Place in Ensival, where they met with representatives from the Belgian Red Cross, the local departments of the Defense and volunteer associations to discuss their efforts to help the locals and their own experiences with the devastation the floods produced. 

And finally, Their Majesties travelled the short distance to Esneux, where they visited the Athenée Royale. There, they met with teachers, students and the entire school staff, praising them for the immense effort they made in order to ensure that their school, which was violently hit by rain and floods, was in pristine condition for the return of in-person learning. 

In July, central Europe was hit by devastating floods resulting from an unprecedented downpour of rain. Germany was the country that was hit the worst, closely followed by the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. 

While the Netherlands and Luxembourg were lucky enough to have losses that only impacted businesses and material goods, Germany totalled 184 dead people, while Belgium lost 37 of their citizens. 

Governments and Royal Families rallied around the hit communities, with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima visiting Limburg and the Luxembourg Grand Ducal Family sending their support. 

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde also visited the affected areas immediately after it was declared safe to do so and scaled down the National Day celebrations to be respectful of the lives lost in that tragedy.