Death toll climbs as floods surge on through central Europe

Floods surging through central Europe have killed at least 16 people and forced more than 30,000 to leave their homes, as tens of thousands of emergency workers and volunteers clear up in the water’s wake or reinforce defences as rivers rise to perilous heights.

Towns and cities on the Elbe in Germany and the Danube in Hungary and Slovakia are now in danger, as Prague and some other parts of the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany see water levels recede and start counting the cost of the worst floods since 2002.

In the German city of Dresden, about 1,000 people were evacuated from low-lying areas amid fears the Elbe would climb higher than during the disastrous floods almost 11 years ago.

Tense situation
"We have a very tense situation all along the Elbe," Dresden city spokesman Kai Schulz said yesterday. "Water levels are rising and will continue to do so over the next few hours. We all hope very much that the water mark will stay below 2002 levels."

In Halle, northwest of Dresden, authorities warned that some 30,000 people might have to leave their homes as water poured into the centre of the city.

As river levels rose to their highest point in 70 years, Halle was forced to cancel this month's planned festival in honour of its most famous son, composer George Frideric Handel, as about 1,500 residents and emergency workers sought to strengthen flood defences. A spokesman for Halle city hall, Drago Bock, said two dykes were in "critical condition". "It seems that levels aren't rising anymore . . . We're hoping that the dams will hold. They're very weak and a lot of water is seeping through them. We need to be prepared for every eventuality," he said.

Shoring up
Germany has mobilised some 40,000 firefighters and 5,000 soldiers to try and shore up towns and cities against the floodwaters. They have been joined by thousands of volunteers. "We are shocked by the pictures from the flood areas," said German economy minister Philipp Roesler as he met industry chiefs to assess the disaster's cost to business.

“Nobody should be left alone . . . We will consider in concrete terms what can we do, for example providing financial aid without inundating people with bureaucracy,” he added. German chancellor Angela Merkel has pledged €100 million in aid. The 2002 floods did damage estimated at €17 billion across the region, however.

In the Czech Republic, the government has earmarked about €200 million for clean-up and repair efforts. Around the country, some 19,000 people have been evacuated from their homes and, while Prague’s historic centre escaped major damage as the swollen Vltava river raged through the capital, other areas downstream are still in peril.

About 3,700 people were evacuated from flooded parts in the industrial city of Usti nad Labem and some flood barriers collapsed, raising fears around major chemical plants in the area. "Unfortunately, it's not over yet," said Czech prime minister Petr Necas. The level of the Danube is still rising in Bratislava and Budapest, the riverside capitals of Slovakia and Hungary respectively, and is not expected to peak until the weekend.