6 July 2005

BRUSSELS — The West Flanders crisis committee has scaled back the provincial disaster plan as fears of flooding subside.

Regional governor Paul Breyne was relieved on Wednesday of his duties co-ordinating the emergency assistance efforts, newspaper 'De Standaard' reported.

However, downgrading the disaster plan from phase three does not mean all of the flooding problems in West Flanders have been resolved.

Cellars in the Kortemark and Izegem are still flooded due to the stormy weather that hit the region on Sunday night and Monday.

Operations to restrict the flooding have nevertheless been abandoned. The military is no longer being used to assist relief efforts.

Firefighters and officers with the Interior Ministry's Civiele Bescherming unit (Civil Protection) are still active where necessary. Clean-up operations are especially necessary.

The crisis committee said the situation in Loppem and Brugge is under control as water levels decline due to run-off via the Ghent-Oostend canal and the combination Zuidervaartje-Leopold canal.

More than 4,000 calls for assistance were lodged with Belgian authorities when parts of Flanders received the largest amount of rainfall in seven years on Sunday night and throughout Monday.

Streets, houses and a hospital were flooded and several lightning-sparked fires were reported. Road and rail transport was also affected by the storm. Walloon escaped largely unscathed.

[Copyright Expatica News 2005]

Subject: Belgian news