European floods - Airmic CEO comment

Airmic’s chief executive, Julia Graham, has commented in response to the European floods.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to those in Western Europe and especially Germany, who have been hurt, bereaved and touched in so many ways by the terrible floods that took place in the past week,” said Julia Graham, CEO, Airmic.

“As a profession, we are experienced in considering scenarios, including floods and other natural disasters. However, the magnitude and speed at which the floods emerged and the tragic consequences, are hard for even the most seasoned of professionals to imagine - including climate scientists, who were shocked,” she continued.

“Other countries have rallied with compassion and energy to provide support. However, the level of shock and surprise, has served to demonstrate the need for society to invest in a better capability of predictive climate analytics, on a global scale, if we are all to be better prepared for future events,” Julia added.