EU warns deadly flooding and wildfires show climate breakdown is fast becoming the norm

Associated Press

BRUSSELS (AP) — The European Union’s head office is warning that devastating floods through much of Central Europe and deadly wildfires in Portugal are joint proof of a “climate breakdown” that will become the norm unless drastic action is taken. EU Crisis Management Commissioner Janez Lenarcic told lawmakers that “we could not return to a safer past.” The worst flooding in years moved Tuesday across a broad swath of Central Europe, taking lives and destroying homes. At the other end of the 27-nation EU, raging fires through northern Portugal have killed at last six people. He warned that beyond the human cost, nations are also struggling to cope with mounting bills for repairing the damage from emergencies and the lengthy recovery from disaster.