We went to the area on Sunday, two days after the flooding that devastated the Müllerthal.
On Friday morning, the Müllerthal was in ruins and the situation was so catastrophic that the prime minister himself decided to go on-site to see the damage and reassure those who been affected.
Xavier Bettel at the Müllerthal on Friday 1 June following the floods that devastated the Müllerthal. / © Gaël Arellano/ RTL Luxembourg
A gigantic work-site was started and two days later, it must be said that the Müllerthal was starting to look a lot more like it did before the flooding.
We went to the area on Sunday afternoon and what we saw was heart-warming. Friday's precarious situation has been erased in order to make way for beautiful scenes of cooperation and solidarity.
Soldiers, firefighters, civilians, tourists—all worked hand-in-hand to help those affected. At the Le Cigalon hotel, the mobilisation was surprising - about 50 volunteers were working hard on it.
Some lent the professionals a strong hand in the basement while others brought drinks and things to eat to the outside. Even the weather seemed to have decided to make the volunteer's work easier!
We had decided to help out and the experience didn't disappoint us. Taking a mud bath in the hotel's underground storage areas, then a short break in the sun, then back to work (and so on).
Chains of people worked in the mud to clear out the basement. Other chains were organised in the kitchens to clear them out, with cleaning stations setup outside. The work of the volunteers demonstrated that good planning and organisation work had gone on.
Firefighters, soldiers and volunteers worked with their feet in the mud in the cellar of the hotel Le Cigalon Sunday. / © Mobile Reporter
All this in a fun atmosphere which almost allowed us to forget the damage. Laughter, jokes, rants —the kind of things that you wouldn't imagine hearing or seeing in such a damaged environment.
On Sunday night, the work was already well-advanced in the Müllerthal, and while there remained much to do, one thing was clear: if those affected had felt very alone on Friday, it certainly wasn't the case on Sunday.
Would you like to help those affected? Volunteer efforts are under way on Facebook. Find all the information in the links box.
