To cope with the consequences of the July flood, there is to be a supplementary budget in North Rhine-Westphalia with a volume of up to 13 billion euros.

The building minister Ina Scharrenbach (CDU) announced on Friday.

The state government expects up to 100,000 applications for reconstruction aid from private households and around 11,000 applications from companies.

A funding guideline with which the state regulates the modalities of financial support will come into force when the Federal Council finally decides on the flood aid fund “Development Aid 2021” on September 10, said Scharrenbach.

Pure burger

Political correspondent in North Rhine-Westphalia.

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The fund of 30 billion euros set up as a special federal fund is intended for reconstruction in the regions affected by the disaster, especially in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. Two billion are spent on repairing damage to federal infrastructure; 28 billion euros have been earmarked for reconstruction measures in the flood regions. The federal government shares this amount with the 16 federal states. In order to get an overview of the damage to the municipal infrastructure in North Rhine-Westphalia, Building Minister Scharrenbach is currently having the affected municipalities work out reconstruction plans in which they explain in detail what needs to be done at facilities such as daycare centers, schools or town halls. "The individual plans then become an overall plan for NRW."

Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) praised the fact that it was possible to provide money “very promptly” and independently of parties and “all developments that result from the federal election”. In the flood areas, "gigantic clean-up work has already been done". It is now possible to give the signal within two months of the disaster that reconstruction can begin. “We are doing everything we can to ensure that every town and village is in good shape again. We owe it to the people who have suffered terrible things, ”promised the Union's candidate for chancellor. As promised, Chancellor Angela Merkel will travel to the flood areas again at the beginning of September. Merkel wants to come to the Ahr Valley on September 3, initially together with the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD).Two days later, a visit to North Rhine-Westphalia is planned together with Laschet.