A FLOOD victim who has close ties with Bracknell has spoken out about the damage caused to his home in Germany.
Henry Artelt from Leverkusen, Bracknell's Twin Town, shared his 'sadness' over the flooding caused by the torrential rain in recent days.
It comes after Bracknell's Twinning Association set up a donation for locals to send money to those communities in Leverkusen affected by the floods.
Henry said: "I am excited, sad, horrified and happy that I did not have to suffer so much damage in my house. The photos show images from Bracknell's twin town Leverkusen. All from the district where I live.
READ MORE: Donations pour in from Bracknell to help twin town Leverkusen affected by flooding
"Water has run into our cellar, fortunately only groundwater and no sewage. We were able to separate the rooms with sandbags that I had got from the police beforehand. Then the water could be pumped out We have no damage, the cellar is now dry."
Areas in Germany has been hit hard by heavy downpours, with the German weather service issuing an extreme weather warning for parts of three western states, while Hagen, a city of 180,000, declared a state of emergency after the Volme River burst its banks.
Many residents in Bracknell who are involved in the Twinning Association have become 'deeply concerned' about the safety of their friends in Leverkusen.
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Mary Temperton, chairman of the Bracknell Twinning Association, said: "We see the pictures and feel helpless. These are not just German homes and German families- they are friends, known for years- with shared life experiences."
Councillor Sanjeev Prasad, Mayor of Bracknell Town, wrote to Oberburgermeister Uwe Richrath, Lord Mayor of Leverkusen, to express sympathy following the recent serious flooding near Bracknell's twin Town.
He said: "The shock of this serious event is brought home vividly when we learn of who has been affected, especially when it involves friends who have made Bracknell people welcome in Leverkusen on twinning visits and who in turn we have welcomed to Bracknell."
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