No let up as ‘record floods’ sweep Germany and Poland

10/06/13 20:09 CET

Flooding has continued to cause misery in Germany after a dam broke in the Fischbeck area in the north east on Monday.

Over the weekend, around 23,000 people had to leave nearby Magdeburg, as water levels in the Elbe rose to a record of 7.48 metres, around 5 metres above normal.

Volunteers in the city worked hard to save an important electric substation.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, continued her tour of flood-hit regions, visiting Wittenberge on Monday. The Chancellor praised the hard work of those dealing with the floods: “The people have been very impressive, both those who are volunteers, and also those who organise it professionally.”

She added: “On behalf of the federal government, I can tell you that we have chosen to give immediate and unbureaucratic help. That is the first step, but we know of course, that the damage will amount to several billions (of euros).”

A broken dam built to contain the swollen Elbe river during floods is pictured in front of the village of Fischbeck in the federal state of Saxony Anhalt, June 10, 2013. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz
A helicopter of the German armed forces Bundeswehr drops sandbags next to a broken dam built to contain the swollen Elbe river during floods near the village of Fischbeck, in the federal state of Saxony Anhalt, June 10, 2013. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz
A partially submerged billboard on a tramstop is seen on the flooded embankments of the Danube River in Budapest June 10, 2013. The Hungarian capital escaped damage from the swollen river Danube, which peaked at record high levels in Budapest overnight and started receding slowly on Monday morning. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh
A thin film of mud covers a BMW convertible after the floods of the nearby Danube river subsided at a car dealership in Fischerdorf, a suburb of the eastern Bavarian city of Deggendorf June 10, 2013. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes and there have been at least a dozen deaths as a result of floods that have hit Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic over the past week. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
A wooden pallet and burning wood got stuck between two cars after the floods of the nearby Danube river subsided at a car dealership in Fischerdorf, a suburb of the eastern Bavarian city of Deggendorf June 10, 2013. Tens of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes and there have been at least a dozen deaths as a result of floods that have hit Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic over the past week. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay
A ticket booth for cruise ships is seen submerged in water along the banks of the flooding Danube River in Budapest June 10, 2013. The Hungarian capital escaped damage from the swollen river Danube, which peaked at record high levels in Budapest overnight and started receding slowly on Monday morning. REUTERS/Laszlo Balogh
Houses are pictured surrounded by floodwaters from the Danube river in Szentendre, 20km (12.4 miles) north of Budapest, June 10, 2013. The Hungarian capital escaped damage from the swollen river Danube, which peaked at record high levels in Budapest overnight and started receding slowly on Monday morning. REUTERS/Bernadett Szabo

In Poland, Sunday’s storms almost paralysed the city of Warsaw with around 30 litres of water falling per square meter in a three hour period.

Firefighters had to free people from eight trapped cars. Four underground stations on the city’s subway were flooded, leaving train services suspended for almost two hours.

More rain is forecast throughout Poland.