Fighting the flood

At the beginning of summer last year, large parts of Europe were hit by torrential rainfalls. Roads were washed out. Tens of thousands of people had to be evacuated. Tragic deaths were reported. Schools and public services had to be shut down. In disasters like this, efforts have to be carried out immediately and effectively to save people and property. The very scale of the disaster puts special emphasis on organising the actions in a strategic way.

When such vast areas are affected by disaster, the ability to manage logistics is crucial. Both from a people and equipment perspective. This is a key strength for Polygon. Flexibility and collaboration are essential when it comes to large-scale weather disasters. And, not least importantly, commitment. Without that it would not have been possible to cope with the relentless demands that came with the floods that affected Germany, France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

In Germany, Polygon immediately put together a task force and mobilised the entire organisation. Technicians and equipment from all over the country were called in. In France, Polygon had swift assistance from Polygon’s Eurostock. That meant that an additional 200 pumps were available within 48 hours to provide help where it was most needed. In the Netherlands, thanks to Polygon’s huge inventory of drying equipment, it was possible to assist all the victims immediately. And in Belgium, the whole Polygon country team was involved in the restoration efforts after the floods.

All in all, within a week more than 5,300 emergency jobs were completed by Polygon in four different
countries.