Floods subsiding

The floodwaters in the northeastern state of Brandenburg are showing signs of receding.

Water levels on the Neisse River, which marks the border with Poland, fell 24 centimeters to 4.93 meters (16.2 feet) in the town of Klein Bademeusel in the early hours of Tuesday.

But the town's dam is still at risk, prompting the authorities to evacuate residents late on Monday. A level four alert, the highest possible, remains in place for the Neisse, with the Spree River on alert level three.

Brandenburg State Premier Matthias Platzeck said he saw the situation as "tense, but manageable."

Help for Saxony

In neighboring Saxony, the regional government is set to approve loans worth 100 million euros ($132 million) on Tuesday, according to an announcement by State Premier Stanislaw Tillich on Monday evening.

Tillich told the regional daily Saechsische Zeitung that he would also like to see an emergency package from the federal government.

Visiting the flood-affected town of Bautzen on Monday, Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere said the government would consider financial aid for the affected regions.

State of emergency lifted

Meanwhile, in and around the area of Goerlitz, hit by floods as the wave came across the border from Poland, the state of emergency was lifted on Sunday night. Water levels reached a record 7.07 meters in Goerlitz on Saturday.

The floodwaters from the Neisse then spread north, reaching the town of Bad Muskau, with peak levels there reaching seven meters, compared to a normal depth of one meter.

The high waters were brought on by strong rainfall in central Europe and a burst dam in Poland. The floods have caused widespread damage and the deaths of at least 11 people in the Czech Republic, Germany and Poland.

Three people died over the weekend in the German city of Chemnitz, after they were trapped in a cellar by rapidly rising water.

Authors: Nicole Goebel (dpa/AFP)
Editor: Martin Kuebler