GEOLOGICAL UPHEAVAL: Massive Landslide In Indonesia - Leave 6 Dead, 3 Missing!

June 20, 2014 - INDONESIA - Six people have been killed and three others are missing after torrential rains sparked a landslide in Indonesia’s West Java province.

Residents salvage belongings from their houses destroyed by a landslide at a village in
Kudus district in Indonesia’s Central Java province on January 22, 2014.

Director of Bogor Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Yos Sudrajat said the incident took place at around 1:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday (1830 GMT Monday) in Bogor district of the province, the English-language newspaper Jakarta Globe reported.

“The torrential rain poured over the Mekarwangi village, in the Cariu subdistrict, and triggered the collapse of a 30-meter-high slope and buried five houses,” he noted.

“We are still searching for three more people, while seven have been rescued and sustained only minor injuries. They have been treated,” Yos said, adding that 30 BPBD workers have been deployed to the area to search for the victims.

Bogor Police chief, Adjutant Senior Commander Sony Movianto said 100 police officers and soldiers have taken part in rescue operations.

Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman for the national disaster management agency said seven people have been rescued safely.

Floods and landslides have repeatedly battered Indonesia in recent years. During Indonesia’s annual rainy season, which peaks between December and February, the country is prone to flooding, exacerbated by clogged rivers and sewers.

In January, at least 23 people lost their lives in days of flash floods and landslides in the Southeast Asian country.

Officials say an average of 541 people have died every year from floods and landslides in Indonesia over the past decade. - Press TV. 

EXTREME WEATHER ANOMALIES: Amanda Becomes The Strongest- EVER Eastern Pacific Hurricane In May - Claims Three Lives In Mexico!

May 30, 2014 - MEXICO -  Torrential rains from tropical storm Amanda claimed the lives of three people in Mexico, authorities said Wednesday.

Waters rushing down mountainsides caused flash floods that swept away two people in the town of Zitacuaro in the western state of Michoacan, said the state's director of civil protection, Nicolas Alfaro.

The fatalities were a 50-year-old man and a girl of eight.

Roads and cars were damaged, and authorities warned homes might need to be evacuated if the rains continued.

Amanda, located far off Mexico's Pacific coast, reached hurricane strength over the weekend before being downgraded.

In the neighboring state of Guerrero, one person died in a road accident blamed on the storm. A tree fell on a road and the man drove right into it, dying instantly.

Amanda was the first named storm of the season.

On Saturday, Amanda became the first hurricane-strength tropical storm of 2014, crossed the 120 km/h wind speed threshold as it made its way through the Pacific.

But by Sunday morning, the storm had strengthened to category 4 status, with winds up to 250 km/h, just shy of the 252 km/h threshold that would make it a category 5.

The National Hurricane Centre says this is the strongest hurricane ever recorded during the month of May.

Pacific hurricane season is considered to run from May 15 to November 30. Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted a near normal to above normal hurricane season in the eastern Pacific. Forecasters say up to 20 named storms could form, including up to 11 hurricanes. Three to six of those are expected to be category 3 or higher.

The Atlantic hurricane season, in contrast, is expected to be quieter. NOAA's 2014 Atlantic hurricane outlook predicts is a near-normal to below normal season.

The 2013 Atlantic hurricane season saw 14 tropical storms, including 2 hurricanes.

In 2013, Mexico was hit simultaneously by hurricanes Ingrid in the Gulf of Mexico and Manuel on the Pacific coast, with a toll of 157 dead. 

SOURCES: VOR | TWN.

DELUGE: Torrential Rains Cause Widespread Flooding In Central Italy - Streets Were Submerged And Cars Were Seen Floating! [VIDEO]

May 04, 2014 - ITALY - At least one person has been killed and another is missing after flooding hit the Le Marche province in central Italy.

In the port town of Senigallia, streets were submerged and cars were seen floating in filthy water.EPA

The port town of Senigallia, on the Adriatic coast, was the worst hit when the River Cesano burst its banks.

Streets were submerged and cars were seen floating in the filthy water.

The man who has been confirmed dead is believed to have been suffering from a heart condition, but the ambulance was unable to reach him due to the flooded roads.


WATCH: Heavy flooding in Central Italy.

 


More rain is expected in the region over the next few days, but the heaviest rain is expected to move southwards, across the southern parts of Le Marche and the Abruzzo province.

Bosnia, Serbia, Croatia and Hungary are also expecting torrential rain over the next few days, which could bring the risk of flooding. - Al Jazeera.

DELUGE: Precursors To A Global Coastal Event - Torrential Rainfall And Floods Kill 2 In Southern Ukraine; 4,000 Animals Drowned; 450 Houses Destroyed Or Severely Damaged; 21 MILLION DOLLARS IN LOSSES!

September 17, 2013 - UKRAINE - Two people were killed after heavy rains hit southern Ukraine's Odessa region over the weekend, a local official said Monday.

Large swathes of Ukraine, have been hit by heavy floods, plunging rural communities into vulnerability.

The ensuing floods drowned some 4,000 farm animals and poultry and destroyed or severely damaged more than 450 houses, causing an estimated loss of 21 million U.S. dollars, an official of the press service of Odessa regional administration told Xinhua.

Around 600 residents have been evacuated in central Odessa, the worst-hit region. - Xinhuanet.

MASS FISH DIE-OFF: Hundreds Of Thousands Of Dead Fish Wash Ashore In Karachi, Pakistan?!

August 07, 2013 - PAKISTAN - Recent torrential rains have not only caused misery for the citizens of Karachi but they have also not spared marine life. Hundreds of thousands of dead fish have washed up on the shores of Karachi possibly poisoned by the polluted rainwater flowing through the Lyari River.

File photo.

The dead fish, mainly mullets (locally known as boi) are found abundantly in the waters off the Karachi Harbour. Mass mortality of fish has been linked to the chemical-laden rainwater flowing through the Sindh Industrial Trading Estate (SITE), sparking concern among environmentalists, scientists and the citizens alike.

Despite action taken by the Sindh Environmental Protection Agency, the sewage water loaded with pollutants continues to reach downstream at the Manora Channel unabated, posing a grave environmental hazard.

Khalid Mahmood, the co-principal investigator of the Worldwide Fund for Nature-Pakistan (WWF), pointed out the mortality of the mullets, sea bream and scat fish has taken place around Baba Island, which is located in the midst of lower harbour of Manora Channel.

Due to the incoming high tide, the fish have been dumped by the sea in the Chinna Creek, Native Jetty and Bhatta Village areas. The Karachi Port Trust (KPT) has started a cleanup operation with the help of fishermen, who have removed about 35 metric tonnes of small-sized fish. These fish are considered important commercial species that are relished by the locals, especially the fishermen community.

Muhammad Moazzam Khan, the technical adviser on marine fisheries at WWF-P, said this was not the first case of mass fish kill at Karachi harbour. On many occasions in the past, release of chemicals by the industries in SITE has resulted in mortality of mullets and other fish in the Karachi harbour.

He pointed out that industrial waste discharged through the Lyari River had to be tackled at point sources on a watershed approach with the active involvement of all stakeholders.

Khan said that rainwater usually resulted in higher productivity in the coastal areas because it was rich in nutrients.“But when the water passes through the industrial areas, it gets heavily polluted. Rather than being a blessing to the marine life, it results in mass fish mortality,” he added.

Sewage flowing through the Lyari River and Gizri Creek, which receives sewage through Malir River, has already turned the Karachi Fish Harbour into azoic zones, where there is no marine life.

Rab Nawaz, the WWF-P director, stressed the need for a comprehensive master plan for controlling the pollution resulting from discharge of industrial and domestic waste through Lyari and Malir rivers.

“Around 435 million gallon per day (mgd) sewage is dumped into the sea through these two rivers, resulting in extreme high levels of pollution,” he claimed. About 85 percent of sewage is dumped into the sea without any treatment resulting in mortality, bio-accumulation and depletion of area with animals and plants.

The sewage treatment capacity of Karachi is only 75mgd, provided the treatment plants operate at their full capacity, Nawaz said.He applauded the KPT’s effort to initiate cleanup operations to remove the dead fish. The fish have been sold to fish meal plants. - The News.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: The Great Deluge - The German Floods Could Cost Insurers $4 Billion!

June 12, 2013 - GERMANY - Damage from the past week's flooding in Germany likely will lead to insurance claims of up to 3 billion euros ($4 billion), a credit rating agency said Tuesday as flood levels on the Elbe river in the country's north appeared to stabilize.

An 11-year-old crosses the flooded market place of the city of Wehlen at river Elbe, Germany.
(Image: AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)

Further south, the peak of the flood on the Danube - Europe's second-longest river - moved away from the Hungarian capital, Budapest, toward Serbia.

The Elbe, the Danube and other rivers have overflowed their banks following weeks of heavy rain, causing extensive damage in Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary.

Fitch Ratings said that the total cost to insurers of the floods in Germany alone is likely to total between 2.5 billion and 3 billion euros.

That's well below the expected total cost of the flood damage, which Fitch put at about 12 billion euros. It said the difference is down to the fact that many residents in flood-prone areas may have been unable to get insurance cover for natural hazards, at least at a reasonable price.

There was no immediate estimate available of the flooding's cost in the other central European countries affected.

In Germany, Chancellor Angela Merkel and the governors of the country's 16 states plan to discuss the aftermath of the floods at a meeting Thursday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel toured flooded regions and pledged at least 50 million euros (65 million U.S. dollars) in immediate federal help and holding out the possibility for more. (Image: AP Photo/Bundesregierung, Steffen Kugler)

Waters were receding on the Danube in southern Germany, while the crest of the swollen Elbe river is now making its way through a largely rural swath of the country's northeast.

By Tuesday, flood levels in the eastern city of Magdeburg were more than 2 feet (about 70 centimeters) below their peak, and water levels further downstream were largely stable. The Interior Ministry said that German authorities have ordered more than 1.6 million unfilled sandbags from other European countries in recent days to help keep pace with their needs.

In Hungary, high flood walls saved most of Budapest from major damage. Prime Minister Viktor Orban said the high waters were expected to exit Hungary for Serbia on Thursday.

"We have ... two difficult days ahead of us," Orban said. "If we get through those, we will be close to declaring success, but it will demand two more days of intense work and attention." - Wunderground.

THE GREAT DELUGE: Swollen River Elbe Breaches Levee, Creating The Underwater Village Of Fischbeck - Burst Dyke Leaves Entire German Town Submerged As Aerial Shots Reveal Devastation Of Recent Heavy Rains; 10 VILLAGES Evacuated; Extensive Damage In Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia And Hungary; 22 DEAD In Europe; TENS OF BILLIONS In Damages!

June 11, 2013 - GERMANY - As cars and homes lie abandoned, this was the scene of devastation today at Fischbeck in central Germany after the entire village became submerged when a dyke burst.  Unable to withstand pressure from the swollen river Elbe after weeks of heavy rain, the levee was breached overnight, prompting officials to evacuate ten villages in the area.  The torrential weather this spring has sent the Elbe, the Danube and other rivers such as the Vltava and the Saale overflowing their banks, causing extensive damage in central and southern Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia and Hungary. 

This aerial view shows floodwater gushing through the burst dyke in Fischbeck today.

This was the scene today at Fischbeck in central Germany after the entire village became submerged when a dyke burst (seen on the left).

Unable to withstand pressure from the swollen river Elbe after weeks of heavy rain, the levee was breached overnight - prompting officials to evacuate ten villages in the area.

Germany's national railway said it had to close a bridge near Fischbeck that is used by trains linking Berlin to Cologne, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.  Some trains were being diverted via other bridges to the north and south, causing significant delays, and others were cancelled.   

Cars lie abandoned in the central German village. The national railway said it had to close a bridge near Fischbeck that is used by trains linking Berlin to Cologne, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

Thousands of homes have been evacuated along the Elbe after waters threatened to break through levees protecting several other towns, as well as Fischbeck (above).

Military personnel, firefighters and volunteers have frantically been trying to build up flood defences along the Elbe with sandbags. Pictured above, the Fischbeck breach.

Thousands of homes have been evacuated along the Elbe after waters threatened to break through levees protecting several other towns.  A few miles upstream from Fischbeck, west of Berlin, around 8,000 people left their houses in the Saxony-Anhalt town of Stendal.  

Talstrasse in Halle, southern Germany, after the city was flooded by water from the river Saale today.

... and how the street looked five days ago.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel (second right) visited Wittenberge, on the Elbe, yesterday to get first-hand information of the flood situation and to thank the volunteers who are helping to battle the floods.

In neighboring Schleswig-Holstein state, the old quarter of Lauenburg near Hamburg was evacuated due to the rising waters of the Elbe.  And in southern Germany, waters were receding and authorities began debating how to pay for the flood damage, estimated at more than 11billion euros (£9.4billion).  So far, the flooding in Europe has claimed at least 22 lives.  As the surge from the Elbe pushes into rural eastern Germany, there was some relief further upstream as the river slipped back from record levels in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt state.  

The flood damage in Germany has been estimated at more than 11billion euros (£9.4billion).

A hovercraft boat drives in a flooded area by the river Elbe near Fischbeck today.

Clouds reflect in the floods by the river Elbe near Tangermuende.

To the south, the Danube hit a record high on Sunday evening in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, but then began to ease back yesterday.  Officials said the city escaped significant damage, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban said soldiers and rescue workers would shift their focus further south.  The German city of Magdeburg grappled over the weekend with water levels more than 16ft (5m) above normal, but the Elbe retreated by about a foot yesterday.  More than 23,000 residents had to leave their homes on Sunday. Officials said an electricity substation in the city was no longer in danger of flooding - which would have made the situation worse by cutting off power to the drainage pumps.  The low-lying old district of Lauenburg, a riverside town east of Hamburg, was evacuated as authorities prepared for floodwaters to peak there later this week.  

WATCH: Dyke bursts in Germany - submerging entire village of Fischbeck.

Soldiers and volunteers have worked frantically over the past week to fill sandbags and reinforce flood defenses across central Europe.  Even with all those efforts, 'we should accept that we humans should be humble, that even in the 21st century we don't completely control nature - that is one lesson from this situation,' Saxony-Anhalt's interior minister, Holger Stahlknecht, told ZDF television.  He said it was too early to analyse what, if anything, might have been done to prepare better for flooding.  In Budapest, the Danube peaked late Sunday at about a foot above the previous record, set in 2006.  The Danube widens noticeably below Budapest, reducing the threat of flooding, although Orban said flood walls and other defences were being strengthened in several locations downriver.  River levels across the Czech Republic were falling yesterday, although thunderstorms during the night caused some local flash floods.  The national police chief, Martin Stovicek, said the country's death toll reached 11 after a Slovak man drowned in a river near the southwestern town of Susice. - Daily Mail.

THE GREAT DELUGE: Germany Evacuates 31,000 After Dam On River Elbe Breaks - Thousands Of Hungarians Help Army Lay A MILLION SANDBAGS As Swollen Danube Hits Budapest!

June 10, 2013 - GERMANY - Tens of thousands of people have been forced to leave their homes as the River Elbe burst through a dam and flooded parts of eastern Germany.

Today the Elbe breached another levee on its relentless march towards the North Sea, forcing Germany to evacuate ten villages and close one of the country's main railway routes.

Only the swimming pool of this garden in Magdeburg was visible as the River Elbe flooded the east German city.

Upstream there was some relief as the river slipped back from record levels in Magdeburg, the capital of Saxony-Anhalt state.

At least 21 flood-related deaths have been in reported in central Europe following a week of heavy rain, leading to rivers swelling and extensive damage.

The latest confirmed death was an 80-year-old man in Austria who died of a heart attack yesterday during the clean-up operation in the wake of floods.

Magdeburg had water levels more than 16ft above normal over the weekend, although the Elbe has now retreated by about a foot.

More than 23,000 people had to leave their homes in the city when the electricity was cut off and streets flooded.

But further downstream, a levee at Fischbeck, west of Berlin, was breached overnight, prompting officials to evacuate ten villages in the area.

In east Germany, people walked through flooded streets in the Rothensee district of Magdeburg
after the River Elbe burst its banks.

Germany's national railway had to close a bridge near Fischbeck on the line from Berlin to Cologne, Frankfurt and Amsterdam.

Residents in the Rothensee neighbourhood of Magdeburg were evacuated with tanks, trucks and buses.

'Rothensee is filling up like a bathtub,' army spokesman Andre Sabzog told news agency dpa.

Around 700 soldiers were trying to build a dam of sandbags around a power substation to protect it from the Elbe.

If the substation floods, thousands of households would be left without water and it would lead to a breakdown of the neighborhood's dewatering pumps.

About 23,000 residents in Magdeburg were forced to leave their homes at the city flooded and lost power.

Another 8,000 people were evacuated from the town of Aken and its neighbouring villages after a dam on the Elbe river broke Saturday, police spokesman Uwe Holz said.

Further north on the Elbe river, residents were trying to protect themselves from flooding by building levees along the banks of the rising waterway.

Officials in Saxony-Anhalt state also were investigating what appeared to be a threat to destroy dams.

Residents piled on to tanks, trucks and buses to get away from the rising water.

Several media outlets said they had received a letter threatening to blow up dams on the Elbe river, Holger Stahlknecht, the state's interior minister, said Sunday.

'We are taking the letter seriously,' he told dpa. He said authorities have stepped up their surveillance of dams and urged residents to remain calm.

Stahlknecht said: 'We should accept that we humans should be humble, that even in the 21st century we don't completely control nature - that is one lesson from this situation.'

He said it was too early to analyze what, if anything, might have been done to prepare better for flooding.

Central Europe has seen a week of torrential rain and perilous flooding.

In Budapest the River Danube threatened to burst its banks as parts of the city's north and south were already underwater, but began to ease back overnight.

The city escaped significant damage, and Prime Minister Viktor Orban said soldiers and rescue workers would shift their focus further south.

The river peaked at record highs of nearly 30ft last night as desperate homeowners, hotel staff and military reservists piled sandbags in front of their buildings to protect the Hungarian capital.

More than 7,000 soldiers and volunteers laid out a million sandbags to strengthen flood defences on the river bank, where some flood walls stand at 30.5ft.

Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic have all been affected by the worst floods in central Europe in a decade.

The Danube - Europe's second longest river which flows through four capital cities and ten countries - started rising rapidly in Hungary last Friday.


WATCH: Aerial footage shows extent of German floods.

The Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said dykes had been strengthened at critical points in Budapest.

However, authorities have said that river defences designed to withstand floods would be high enough to protect the city.

'The flood is now approaching Budapest, the heart of the country,' Orban told reporters in Esztergom, which is 30 miles north of Budapest.

'Two decisive days are ahead of us because the danger will be where most people live and where most things of value are at risk. It is now when we have to gather all our strength.

'In Budapest ... it is not simply the flood which is the problem ... but the complicated public works system through which all kinds of problems can arise.'

At least 1,400 people have been evacuated from towns and villages along the Danube and 44 roads have been closed. More than 200 people in Budapest had already left their homes. - Daily Mail.

THE GREAT DELUGE: River Danube Reaches Record Levels, 29 FEET HIGHER THAN NORMAL - Historic Capital Budapest Goes On "HIGH ALERT" For River To Burst Its Banks; Tens Of Thousands Evacuated; At Least A Dozen Killed By Floods In Central Europe!

June 09, 2013 - CENTRAL EUROPE - Budapest was on high alert yesterday as the River Danube threatened to burst its banks and flood the historic city.  The river peaked at record highs as desperate homeowners, hotel staff and military reservists piled sandbags in front of their buildings to protect the Hungarian capital.  Tens of thousands have been forced to leave their homes and at least a dozen people have been killed in floods that have hit central Europe in the past week. 

Central Europe has seen a week of torrential rain and perilous flooding.

Twenty people reportedly have died in the floods across central Europe after several days of heavy rains.

The flooded water of River Danube rolling along at Margareth Island in Budapest.

The River Danube in the centre of Budapest is nearly 29ft higher than normal.

Thousands have been put up in emergency shelters waiting for the waters to recede so they can get back to their homes.  Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic have all been affected by the worst floods in central Europe in a decade.  The Danube – Europe’s second longest river which flows through four capital cities and ten countries – started rising rapidly in Hungary last Friday.  The country announced a state of ‘extreme danger’ which is likely to last into next week as the waters are expected to recede very slowly. 

At least 1,200 people from 28 towns and villages have been forced to leave their homes and 44 roads have been closed, it was reported.  The Danube was expected to peak at 29.4 feet in Budapest last night – worryingly near the river's flood fences which are 30.5 feet tall.  The previous record high was 28 feet in the 2006 floods. In a devastating flood in 1838, the Danube killed 150 people and left more than 50,000 homeless.  

An aerial view of the swollen Danube River in Esztergom, 43 miles west of Budapest showed what
the capital had in store on Sunday.

A resident paddles his kayak in the main street in Nagymaros, 32 miles north of Budapest.

A lone tree is partially submerged outside Budapest.

A resident looks out from her window after making her house as secure as she can 19 miles from Budapest.

Yesterday, crowds gathered along the river to watch as water streamed past the bank and trickled through gaps in the wall, reaching the highest point ever recorded.  Staff from hotels on the bank of the Danube massed sandbags outside their buildings in a forlorn attempt to avoid the problem.  Men, women and children all helped to fill sandbags as the city attempted to avoid devastating floods.  More than six million have been used to shore up river defences. 

Police directed traffic away from the river banks and just a few cars remained on what were previously busy roads while the subway was closed due to flooding.  However, authorities have said that river defences designed to withstand floods would be high enough to protect the city.  The Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said dykes had been strengthened at critical points in Budapest.  

Residents pumping back flood water through a sandbag dam in Nagymaros.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban says water levels are expected to recede only very slowly next week, leaving
many houses and villages cut off.

No roads were left visible in the partially submerged village of Nagymaros, 37 miles west of Budapest.

In Budapest the government is reportedly planning a crisis meeting with the other countries affected to see how the cost of the disaster can be shared.

He warned the next two days would be ‘decisive’ in the battle against the floods.  He added: ‘The (floods) are approaching the heart of the country now, we can say that the next two days will be decisive.  Referring to increased pressure on the sewage network from the Danube, he said: ‘In Budapest ... it is not simply the flood which is the problem ... but the complicated public works system through which all kinds of problems can arise.’  - Daily Mail.

THE GREAT DELUGE: Major Stranding On The River Danube - Cruise-Liner Carrying 120 British Pensioners Marooned By Floods In Austria As Authorities Consider Emergency Airlifts; Danube Has Reached Highest Level In Over 500 Years As Widespread Flooding Covers Europe; 16 DEAD; 4 Others Missing; Mass Evacutions!

June 06, 2013 - EUROPE - Rescuers will attempt to evacuate than 120 British tourists today after six days of being trapped on a cruise liner stricken by heavy floods in Austria.  The holidaymakers - many of them pensioners - have been stranded since Saturday when torrential rains forced their cruise ship skipper to abandon attempts to dock in Vienna on the river Danube.  The water has begun to recede giving emergency services hope of a rescue for the first time.  

Emergency services will try to rescue the British tourists for the first time today and so far the stricken cruise liner has only been accessible by small boat.

Passengers are marooned on the stricken cruise liner after the Danube rose to unprecedented levels.

The boat is only accessible by small dinghies making it too dangerous to evacuate the 120 passengers.

However, they admit the attempt at 7pm today may not be successful if the water levels are too high.  The Danube has reached heights not seen for 500 years and jetties along the river have been swamped and dozens of ships abandoned. However, the Dutch-registered Filia Rheni cruiser is the only one that still has passengers onboard.  The skipper of the cruiser said it has so far been impossible to get the passengers or the 40 staff on board off the boat.  Captain Arie Hauvelman said: 'There is no need to panic.'  But local emergency services are standing by to evacuate the passengers if the ship gets swept away or hit by debris in the fast-moving flood current.  

Much of Europe has been hit by floods with some areas seeing the worst flooding for 400 years.

The Danube has flooded the motorways around the city of Deggendorf, Germany.

The Danube (right) reached levels not seen for 500 years as it passed through Passau in Germany (pictured).

It is currently tied to a pontoon until the waters recede.  Skipper Hauvelman said: 'The ship isn't easily damaged. It is made of iron, not plastic. I have experienced this situation before in my years as a ship captain.  'All passengers are safe. The ship is safe - there is no danger of it dislodging.  'There is enough food and drink on board and the passengers are in good spirits. Plans are in place to rescue the passengers in an emergency.  'It is just a matter of time. We hope that in one or two days the water levels will start to fall.  'I have been talking to the passengers and reassuring them.'  He said he has experienced similar situations at least a dozen times while travelling on major rivers such as the Rhine and Neckar.  The cruise liner is currently only accessible by small dinghy and the current is too strong to evacuate all passengers that way. 

The historical city of Passau was surrounded by rising water from the Danube river and the Inn river, left.

A tractor carries residents back to their home in the village of Niederalteich in Germany.

A man holds his head as he surveys the damage done to homes in Dresden after days of torrential rain.

The British passengers were already on board the cruise when the river reached unprecedented levels.  It rose too fast to safely evacuate.  The liner is one of about 30 moored along the river in Vienna until the water levels drop.  In Vienna, the Danube peaked Wednesday at levels above those of the 2002 floods that devastated Europe.  The city's extensive protection system held, however, although the highway to the airport was temporarily inundated.  The rescue attempt comes after dozens of village residents had to be airlifted to safety yesterday by helicopters after the Danube reached heights not seen in over 500 years in the German city of Passau.  

In Saxony, flood waters submerged a sports park and Stadium of Gera in Thuringia.

A house is flooded in Dresden heavy rain continues to flood Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic.

It then surged downstream to crash through a levee in the southern village of Deggendorf.  Today, the river smashed through another levee, engulfing entire neighborhoods in the same village.  'We would have risked our lives had we stayed at home,' Deggendorf resident Hans Loefflmann said, adding that he and his wife had to leave all their valuables behind when the floods gushed into their house within minutes.  At least 16 people have died in the flooding of the Danube and Elbe rivers in central Europe this week and at least four others are missing.  Tens of thousands of people have been evacuated in the region, including over 700 in the eastern German city of Dresden, where the Elbe crested Thursday at 21 feet above normal levels.  The Danube is normally around 400 yards wide as it passes the city's imposing Hungarian parliament building.  

Docks for freighters and cruise ships in Vienna are completely under water leaving them stranded in the water.

Soldiers take a break after stacking sandbags to strengthen a dam on the city outskirts against the rising Mulde river in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany.

Rescue workers were stuck at the end of a street flooded by the Danube in Deggendorf, Germany.

Now its waters are lapping at the back steps of the neo-Gothic structure and cover large sections of the heavily used roads on both sides of the river.  Large parts of Germany are underwater and hundreds of volunteers in Germany prepared sandbags today in preparation for the imminent flood.  Residents and emergency crews worked through the night in Dresden and other cities to bolster riverbanks and build sandbag barriers as floodwaters that have already claimed 16 lives in Europe roared farther north through Germany.  The Elbe river was expected to crest today in Dresden, the capital of Saxony state that was devastated during the massive flooding in 2002.  This time, the famous historic city centre has so far largely escaped damage.  In the Saxony-Anhalt city of Bitterfeld, an attempt to blow open a levee to lower waters threatening the city along the Mulde river was unsuccessful.  Some 30,000 residents in nearby Halle were urged to evacuate.   The situation in the Bavarian town of Deggendorf remained critical, as another levee burst Thursday morning and the Danube engulfed entire neighborhoods. - Daily Mail.