Earth Sciences: Natural Disasters and Hazards: Floods: Past Floods: Europe 2002: Page 3

German officials warned last night of an environmental disaster if floodwater surging down the river Elbe swamped the huge chemicals complex at Bitterfeld, south-west of Berlin.

The raging river Vltava came close to submerging Prague's historic city centre and two of the city's districts last night, as the rising torrent put hours of work and thousands of sandbags to the test.

The rain-lashed faces of the 28 stone saints which line Prague's famous 14th century Charles bridge were managing to keep their heads above water last night, but, like much of the city, they were close to succumbing to the raging waters of the Vltava river.

The death toll from flooding across eastern and central Europe rose to at least 87 last night, with tens of thousands of people forced to flee the rising waters

Emergency workers in the Czech capital of Prague today struggled to evacuate residents and tourists and save the city's historic Charles bridge from flood waters that have already claimed nine lives.

A personal account from the floods in Germany.

Floodwaters were continuing to rise in Prague today, threatening the homes of more than 50,000 people. Across Europe, numerous rivers have burst their banks, punched their way through dams and bridges, and severed roads and railway lines.

Some 50,000 people were ordered out of their homes in Prague late last night as the biggest flood for more than a century threatened to swamp the medieval quarter of the Czech capital.

The BBC's Ray Furlong assesses the aftermath of the severe flooding of the Czech Republic's ancient capital Prague.

Flood waters in historic Dresden appear to stabilise at record levels, but other east German cities remain under threat of being swamped.

Hundreds of photos of the Prague (Czech Republic) floods taken during the days of the disaster hitting on the 12th of August 2002.

JS Kelly's translations of Czech media news reports on the Czech Republic floods.

The swelled Labe rivers has started receding in the whole of the North Bohemian Usti nad Labem region.

Floods have retreated from record levels in many parts of Prague, allowing some residents to return home, but estimates of the cost of the calamity rose as fast as the waters fell.

"Emperor Akihito has sent a telegram to Czech President Vaclav Havel expressing his sympathy to the residents affected by the massive floods in the Central European country, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday"