Floods in Europe near peak Boat people: Firefighters and helpers evacuate inhabitants in the flooded German city of Grimma. Floodwaters that inundated Prague and swamped large areas of central Europe may have peaked on Tuesday as emergency crews worked to open river traffic, drain submerged neighbourhoods and count the cost of the storm damage. Chancellor Angela Merkel began a tour of flooded regions in Germany as forecasters struggled to predict exactly when rivers including the Elbe, Danube and Rhine would crest. States of emergency in Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria remained in force after firefighters, soldiers and volunteers widened evacuation zones and tried to stem flooding that spread even as rain abated. Nine people were confirmed dead and six were missing in the Czech Republic and Austria. Local media reported three deaths in Germany. "This is not just a once-in-a-hundred years event, it's one you have to call exorbitant," Dr Merkel told reporters in the southern German town of Passau, where the Danube, Inn and Ilz rivers converge. We want to help. Even as the water marks slowly recede, the damage will continue to have an effect for a long time. The federal government will make 100 million euros ($134 million) available in immediate funds to aid the clean-up effort, she said. Authorities are battling to limit the damage from flooding that is the worst on record in some parts of Germany and recalls the devastation in 2002 that put whole regions of Bohemia, Germany and Austria under water. Hungary has deployed 400 soldiers as it stepped up flood defence along the Danube, state news service MTI cited army chief Tibor Benko as saying. Authorities expect water marks to reach record levels on June 9, MTI said. Prime Minister Viktor Orban declared a state of emergency effective from noon Tuesday. The Czech capital was among the hardest-hit cities from non-stop spring rains. The Vltava, which bisects Prague, crested earlier on Tuesday after flooding about 4 per cent of the city. The 650-year-old Charles Bridge straddling the Vltava, parts of the subway and embankments in the Kampa or Smichov areas remained closed. "The situation in Prague has stabilised and the worst is behind us," acting mayor Tomas Hudecek said. Right now, we are dealing with the complicated transport situation and putting together clean-up plans. With all dams on the river at capacity, it will be some time before waters recede, the Vltava river basin management said. Czech authorities evacuated about 8000 people and reported seven deaths and four people missing in the floods. As many as 4000 German soldiers were working in the flood areas, the defence ministry said. The troops were reinforcing dams, giving medical aid and helping with evacuations, it said. The centre of Passau was partially submerged, with shops and homes near riverside areas evacuated. Power supplies were cut off in some parts as a precaution, said Siegfried Ratzinger, a spokesman for the city's crisis centre. "We also have problems with the quality of the drinking water due to the floods," he said. In Dresden, which still bears the scars of the 2002 floods that damaged buildings including the 19th century Semper Opera, several schools sent students home and old people's homes were evacuated as authorities prepared for the River Elbe to approach record-high levels. "We expect the water level in Dresden to rise by 1.5 metres in the next days, possibly to 9 metres," Frank Meyer, a spokesman for Saxony's environment ministry, said. Helma Orosz, Dresden's mayor, said yesterday that the situation evoked memories of the deluge 11 years ago, when the Elbe rose to 9.4 metres in the city. While Dresden's historic city centre including the Frauenkirche cathedral will be safe because of protection installed after the 2002 floods, city districts including Gohlis and Laubegast that are located further downstream still lack such protection, Mr Meyer said. In Austria, two people were found dead and two others were reported missing after landslides. In the eastern part of the country, levels of the Danube are expected to reach their peak today. With several city centres under water, about 1000 people have left their homes in the provinces of Upper Austria and Lower Austria, a government official said. The situation in western parts of the country eased yesterday. In Salzburg, levels are declining on all rivers, Stefan Mayer, a spokesman for the province, said by telephone. The damage will "surely exceed that caused by the flood of 2002," he said.