Floods expose the West’s hubris

PIA NEGRO’S FAMILY HAS LIVED IN A CASTLE IN Erftstadt, in western Germany, for 300 years. They have spent the past 30 years restoring it to its former glory. But they left it in minutes on July 15, evacuating at around 4 a.m. as the worst floods to hit the country in centuries rushed toward their home. “We couldn’t bring anything—not the very old furniture, not even photos that are highly emotional, just our phones,” says Negro, 32.

The castle’s 40 inhabitants, including Negro’s family and renters, had spent the previous