Once its strength, water now threatens Germany

FILE PHOTO: German Bundeswehr soldiers help to clean up the debris following heavy rainfalls, in Bad Muenstereifel, North Rhine-Westphalia state, Germany, July 21, 2021. REUTERS/Thilo Schmuelgen

BAD MUENSTEREIFEL, Germany (Reuters) - Bad Muenstereifel's transformation from picturesque but sleepy German tourist town into an outlet shopping centre put it on the map for millions of visitors.

Then floods laid waste to its medieval streets and half-timbered buildings, highlighting the vulnerability of Europe's top economy to an increasingly unpredictable climate.