Floods bring misery to central Europe

Ivana Kottasova. Frederik Pleitgen and Laura Smith-Spark, CNN
5 minute read
Updated 10:08 AM EDT, Tue June 4, 2013
Trees are submerged in the waters of the Elbe River in Schoenhausen, Germany, on Wednesday, June 12. Heavy rain has left rivers swollen <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/11/world/europe/europe-flood/index.html">across Central Europe</a>.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
Trees are submerged in the waters of the Elbe River in Schoenhausen, Germany, on Wednesday, June 12. Heavy rain has left rivers swollen across Central Europe.
CHRISTIAN CHARISIUS/AFP/Getty Images
People salvage items from their house, which was flooded by the Danube River, in Dunakeszi, Hungary, on June 12.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
People salvage items from their house, which was flooded by the Danube River, in Dunakeszi, Hungary, on June 12.
FERENC ISZA/AFP/Getty Images
A man empties a bucket of water in front of his house in Hohnstorf, Germany, on June 12.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
A man empties a bucket of water in front of his house in Hohnstorf, Germany, on June 12.
JOHANNES EISELE/AFP/Getty Images
Residents stand in front of a house that was hit by floodwaters from the Danube River in Fischerdorf, Germany, on Tuesday, June 11.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
Residents stand in front of a house that was hit by floodwaters from the Danube River in Fischerdorf, Germany, on Tuesday, June 11.
CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images
Floodwaters from the Elbe River inundate a yard with a swimming pool near Magdeburg, Germany, on Monday, June 10.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
Floodwaters from the Elbe River inundate a yard with a swimming pool near Magdeburg, Germany, on Monday, June 10.
THOMAS PETER/Reuters/Landov
The embankment at the Pest side of Budapest is flooded on June 10. Emergency services and volunteers worked through the night in Hungary as floodwaters threatened towns and villages.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
The embankment at the Pest side of Budapest is flooded on June 10. Emergency services and volunteers worked through the night in Hungary as floodwaters threatened towns and villages.
ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images
A man walks in high water from the Elbe River in Meissen, Germany, on Sunday, June 9.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
A man walks in high water from the Elbe River in Meissen, Germany, on Sunday, June 9.
KAY NIETFELD/AFP/Getty Images
Greenpeace activists walk in floodwaters from the Danube at the Chain Bridge in Budapest on June 9.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
Greenpeace activists walk in floodwaters from the Danube at the Chain Bridge in Budapest on June 9.
ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images
Soldiers prepare a makeshift flood barrier on Margareth Island in the Hungarian capital of Budapest on June 9.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
Soldiers prepare a makeshift flood barrier on Margareth Island in the Hungarian capital of Budapest on June 9.
ATTILA KISBENEDEK/AFP/Getty Images
A resident wades to a neighbor's house on a flooded street near the swollen Elbe River on Friday, June 7, in Elster, Germany.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
A resident wades to a neighbor's house on a flooded street near the swollen Elbe River on Friday, June 7, in Elster, Germany.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
A man walks through the mud in the village of Fischerdorf near Deggendorf, southern Germany, on June 7.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
A man walks through the mud in the village of Fischerdorf near Deggendorf, southern Germany, on June 7.
CHRISTOF STACHE/AFP/Getty Images
Chewbaca sits among groceries and bottles of butane in a rubber raft as his owner pulls him through a flooded street near the swollen Elbe River on June 7.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
Chewbaca sits among groceries and bottles of butane in a rubber raft as his owner pulls him through a flooded street near the swollen Elbe River on June 7.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Members of the emergency services inspect a road washed away by flood water near Loebnitz, eastern Germany, on June 7.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
Members of the emergency services inspect a road washed away by flood water near Loebnitz, eastern Germany, on June 7.
JAN WOITAS/AFP/Getty Images
The Inn, left, and Danube rivers flood parts of the historic city of Passau, Germany, on Thursday, June 6.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
The Inn, left, and Danube rivers flood parts of the historic city of Passau, Germany, on Thursday, June 6.
Joerg Koch/Getty Images
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Reiner Haseloff, right, premier of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, speak with volunteers about building a sandbag barrier near Lake Goitzsche in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany, on June 6.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Reiner Haseloff, right, premier of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, speak with volunteers about building a sandbag barrier near Lake Goitzsche in Bitterfeld-Wolfen, Germany, on June 6.
Jens Schlueter/Getty Images
Residents and their pets take refuge from the flooding in a shelter in Bitterfield, Germany, on June 6.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
Residents and their pets take refuge from the flooding in a shelter in Bitterfield, Germany, on June 6.
ODD ANDERSEN/AFP/Getty Images
Volunteers fill sandbags to protect Dresden, Germany, from rising floodwaters of the Elbe River on June 6.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
Volunteers fill sandbags to protect Dresden, Germany, from rising floodwaters of the Elbe River on June 6.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
The Elbe floods the historic city center of Meissen, Germany, on June 6.
Floods sweep through Central Europe —
The Elbe floods the historic city center of Meissen, Germany, on June 6.
Sean Gallup/G