Timothy Birdnow

Apparently the Germans didn't learn their lessons; they want to return to a state of nature which is what the problem was in this instance. What fools we mortals be!

From John Lees:

6,000 thought to have died in severe rainfall and flooding in Germany. This must surely be climate change at work.
In the year 1342.

"It appears that after a prolonged hot and dry period, continuous rainfalls occurred, lasting several consecutive days and amounting to more than half of the mean yearly precipitation. Since the dry soil was unable to absorb such amounts of water, the surface runoff washed away large areas of fertile soil and caused huge inundations destroying houses, mills and bridges. In Würzburg, the then-famous Steinerne Brücke (Stone Bridge) was washed away, and in Cologne it is said that a rowing boat could pass over the city's fortifications.

A precise number of casualties remains unknown, but it is believed that in the Danube area alone, 6,000 people perished".

[...]

'It is assumed that the loss of fertile soil led to a serious drop in agricultural production. In addition, the following summers were wet and cold, so that the population suffered from widespread famine. Whether the spreading of the Black Death between 1348 and 1350, killing at least a third of the population in central Europe, was facilitated by the weakened condition of the population is a matter of discussion."

Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at 08:02 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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