AI Summary

Researchers from the University of Potsdam, the Helmholtz Centre for Geosciences, the University of Louvain, and Johns Hopkins University examined the 224 deaths that occurred during the July 2021 floods in Germany and Belgium. Their analysis shows that many fatalities happened outside the officially mapped flood hazard zones, and that older people were disproportionately affected. The study, published in *Earth’s Future*, used streamflow data to determine the return periods of the July 2021 flood and mapped the locations of fatal incidents. The findings highlight gaps in current hazard mapping and risk communication, underscoring the need for urgent improvements.

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