German, Czech cities brace for flood surge CENTRAL Europe's worst floods in over a decade have claimed a 12th victim as torrents of muddy water surge down swollen rivers through the Czech Republic and into Germany, flooding villages and forcing mass evacuations. The huge volumes of water from heavy spring rains coming down the Danube and Elbe river systems also sparked mass mobilisations in Austria and threatened future inundations as far away as Budapest. Eastern Germany, where vast areas are already under water, braced for worse to come after the Elbe rose above eight metres, six metres higher than usual, with the crest yet to arrive. About 40,000 firefighters, 5000 troops, including hundreds of French and Dutch soldiers, and thousands of volunteers across the country have struggled to prevent major disaster. "We have to expect the very worst," Till Backhaus, environment minister of Mecklenburg-Pomerania state told German news wire DPA. We have to be ready for a highly difficult and complex situation. In the city of Halle, where Elbe tributary the Saale reached its highest level in 400 years and started soaking through dykes, authorities told 30,000 people to evacuate. The widespread floods in central Europe, which have turned villages into islands, were the worst since 2002 when scores of people were killed. Homes, businesses and crops have been destroyed, road and rail links severed and vast areas left without power and drinking water. In the Czech Republic, where eight people have perished, some villages can only be reached by boat. In Germany - where, ironically, the skies were clear after weeks of frequent rain - defences were strengthened around the historical city centre of Dresden, a world heritage site that was badly hit by 2002 floods.