Temporary living: Flood victims from the Eifel fight for their home

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Status: 03.11.2021, 3:23 p.m.

The Klein couple has been living in an alternative accommodation in Hellenthal for three months because the flood has badly damaged its house.Everyday life demands a lot from them.

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"" Says Harald Klein when you address him about the flood.Three months ago, the flood hit its house in Schleiden-Gemünd so much that it is currently uninhabitable.

Daily commuting to the construction site

According to estimates by the city of Schleiden, the flood has destroyed more than 100 objects, especially houses, in the Schleiden urban area that they can no longer be set up.But the couple Klein is lucky: their house can be renovated.For this, Harald Klein commutes to the construction site almost 20 kilometers almost a day.Friends provided the couple to a house free of charge for the construction period.Instead of 130 the Kleins now live on 60 square meters in Hellenthal.

For Nicole Klein, the current living room is also a bedroom and laundry room.

Harald Klein kümmert sich neben seinem Beruf als Lkw-Fahrer die meiste Zeit um seine pflegebedürftige Frau, die im Rollstuhl sitzt., says the 59-year-old.In the alternative accommodation, he first had to build a ramp at the house entrance in Hellenthal.In addition, he organizes the entire construction work on the destroyed house.He catches up for windows, orders the heating installer and fill out funding applications.In between he brings his wife to the toilet., he confesses.He himself suffers from a lung disease and has to regularly to the doctor himself.

Friends help

At the moment, he is primarily giving him the conversations with friends and the ongoing willingness to help.He wants to burn this in his pellet stove on the construction site in the coming months, because at the moment the plaster is drying., he knows.The construction work will take months.

The couple could only save a few valuables from the flood night

When Harald Klein comes to rest, he often becomes aware of what the water on the flood night has taken away.

goal in mind

But there is no time for grief.At the end of November, the owners of the alternative accommodation come back from a stay abroad.Then he has to vacate his intermediate home domicile with his wife and move into a rent house.

From December he has to raise 500 euros per month for the house in Dahlem.Money that the Klein couple will be missing again for the restart in the broken house.Because the costs for the renovation of the flood -damaged house are enormous.The heating alone is around 10.000 euros cost.Klein hopes for a generous reconstruction aid.Harald Klein already has his long-term goal in mind: Next year Christmas should be a Christmas tree again in your own house, in Schleiden-Gemünd.