The German government has backed 30 billion euros ($35.16 billion) in federal funding on Wednesday to help rebuild the damage in western and southern Germany following heavy rainfall and flooding in mid-July. Chancellor Angela Merkel announced at a press briefing that the money will be released by the federal state in a “sign of national solidarity,” and the nation’s 16 federal states have reached an agreement on the relief fund for the regions affected by the storm. Of the 30 billion euros, 28 billion ($32.82 billion) will be split between the federal government and the states, a government official said. The remaining money will be provided by Berlin for infrastructure projects. The federal states of Rhineland–Palatinate and North Rhine–Westphalia, in particular, suffered heavy damage last month, when rainfall and floods took many by surprise despite extreme weather warnings. More than 180 people died in what was reported as Germany’s worst natural disaster …