Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) on Tuesday afternoon Hailstorm badly hit community Benediktbeuern and the monastery there visited. He promised representatives of the district, the five district municipalities that were particularly badly damaged by hail, the monastery and the press that the Free State would “definitely” help in the face of this “mega catastrophe”. Financial aid would benefit both private individuals and municipalities and the monastery with those aspects that would not be covered elsewhere, said Söder: “We don’t leave anyone alone.”
In view of the increasing number of extreme weather events, Markus Söder promised financial aid for those affected.
(Photo: Manfred Neubauer)
The cabinet decided on Tuesday that hail events would be included in the emergency relief programs. Those affected by such devastating heavy rain events, floods and now also hail, who are in an exceptional emergency and cannot finance the repairs from their own funds or who are not insured, should be able to receive grants in the form of emergency aid. The State Ministry of Finance and Homeland will initiate a financial aid campaign for the affected districts in accordance with the hardship fund guideline and make budgetary funds available through the governments, said the Minister President. The ministry will initiate this financial aid immediately, he promised.
In view of the enormous damage, this financial aid is one of three pillars to help the people affected. Subsidy programs for the restoration of the municipal infrastructure formed another one, from which the Benediktbeurer and Bichler schools, for example, could benefit in order to be repaired again. Thirdly, according to Söder, there should be tax relief for people who are affected by a regionally limited storm.
“You can feel the desperation of the people,” he summed up. Standing in front of one of the many heaps of broken glass in Benediktbeuern, he also appealed to citizens to take out appropriate insurance as a matter of urgency in view of the increasing number of extreme weather events.
Söder thanked all emergency services “for the quick and comprehensive help – that’s also very important emotionally.”