The River Elbe has surged to an all-time record high today, flooding more districts of the historic east German city of Dresden.
Authorities are scrambling to evacuate tens of thousands of residents in the worst flooding to hit central Europe in memory.
At least 90 people have lost their lives since the weekend as the worst floods in more than a century cascaded across central Europe, leaving a trail of chaos and disaster from the Black Sea to the Baltic.
The death toll in Germany rose to 14 this morning.
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An aerial view of the flooded Zwinger Castle in Dresden, eastern Germany
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The cost of the flooding is estimated to run into billions of euro. Floodwaters submerged all the dams in Dresden, further swamping streets, homes and historic landmarks, and the Elbe passed the nine-metre record as meteorologists forecast more rain in areas upriver.
In the Czech Republic, authorities were counting the cost of the massive flooding as people returned to the homes and the Vltava river receded.
The Danube running through the Slovak capital Bratislava also reached a peak of 9.86 metres overnight, topping the previous record before stabilising, Slovak authorities said.
Over four million Germans have been affected by the floods, the government said. Large swathes of German countryside were under water as thousands of troops and other workers raced to save homes and livelihoods all along the Elbe.
Despite concerns for the budget just weeks away from elections, Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder has pledged €400 in aid for flood victims in this economically depressed former East Germany.
As the European Commission unlocked funds for emergency aid, bilateral disaster relief from Belgium, France, Germany, Greece and Japan started arriving in the Czech Republic to help more than 200,000 displaced people. The United States has contributed $50,000 in emergency aid.
AFP