A fresh swell of water rolled toward the historic city of Dresden this afternoon, forcing the evacuation of hospitals and homes.
Southeast Germany became the focus of flooding that has killed at least 99 people across Europe.
Forecasters say the torrential rains that unleashed the catastrophic flooding on the Danube, the Elbe and their tributaries along the Czech and Austrian borders were mostly over. Only scattered showers are expected today.
But more flooding was expected in Slovakia, east of the Czech Republic, where officials declared a state of emergency on Wednesday in the capital, Bratislava. Authorities there expect the Danube River to reach its highest point tomorrow.
In Dresden, the Elbe River burst its banks this week, leaving some of the historic city's cultural treasures under water. The river was expected to rise Thursday to 28 feet close to an all-time high of 29 feet reached in 1845. Of the total deaths, 11 have been in Germany.
Floodwaters damaged the world-renowned Semper Opera and the Zwinger palace, which houses thousands of Renaissance paintings. They were moved to higher floors of the building for protection.
About 170 intensive care patients were evacuated overnight from several hospitals and taken to hospitals on higher ground. About 3,000 residents left flood-prone areas of Dresden and Pirna, joining 20,000 who were evacuated earlier.
German electronics giant Siemens closed its sales and administrative office in Dresden, the capital of Saxony state, yesterday as the waters approached. The city's main train station was also under water.
AP