Surging rivers threaten cities in Czech Republic, Germany 12 people reported dead across the Czech Republic, Germany and Austria More than 19,000 people evacuated from their homes, Czech fire service says Flood warnings are issued on several rivers in Germany A cleanup operation starts in southern Bohemia Send us you photos and videos, but please stay safe. (CNN) -- Parts of the Czech Republic and Germany braced for flooding Wednesday as surging rivers threatened more cities. The floods are thought to be the worst since August 2002, when parts of Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovakia, Russia and Romania were affected. Eight people have died as a result of this week's flooding in the Czech Republic, fire service spokeswoman Nicole Zaoralova said. Read more: Floods bring misery to central Europe "The situation is still critical in the city of Usti," she said. We are expecting the situation on the River Labe (Elbe) in the northern Bohemia region of Ustecko to become worse during the day. The river has not peaked yet, and the levels are rising. The situation in the next few days will obviously depend on the current weather situation. As of the moment, more heavy rains are forecast for the weekend. The Elbe crosses the border into the eastern German state of Saxony soon after it passes through Usti nad Labem, so German cities downstream such as Dresden are also expecting the surge to arrive. The Czech fire service is moving heavy equipment to regions that are still at risk, Zaoralova said. In other areas in southern Bohemia, the focus is shifting to cleaning up, with equipment deployed to clear mud, she said. More than 19,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, Zaoralova said. Close to 23,000 firefighters, including volunteers, have been deployed across the Czech Republic so far, she said. CNN iReport: Floods in Prague through a volunteer's eyes The Vltava River, which flows through the historic capital, Prague, has peaked there, but the fire service is monitoring for large debris that could damage landmarks such as the centuries-old Charles Bridge. An excavator has been stationed on the bridge, which is much loved by tourists and locals, to ward off damaging wreckage. Flood waters are starting to recede in some low-lying parts of the city. Volunteer efforts Saxony in eastern Germany is the most vulnerable area Wednesday, after river levels dropped slightly in much of Bavaria, farther south. Flood warnings are in place for areas around the rivers Elbe, Lausitzer Neisse, Mulde, tributaries of the upper Elbe, Black Elster, Spree and White Elster, according to the German meteorological service. Danny Arguello, an international business student in Dresden, told CNN iReport that he was impressed by the outpouring of volunteer support as residents try to protect the city. As the rising Elbe River covers roads and sidewalks, groups of volunteers organized through Facebook are cooking food, moving sandbags and helping with other flood preparations, he said. "The participation around the whole town is just amazing," he said. In Bavaria, the Danube River has topped flood defenses downstream from Deggendorf. And in Vilshofen, it is about 125 centimeters (4 feet) above the highest flood stage, it said. Water levels remain extremely high on the Danube between Regensburg and Passau, in southern Bavaria, the meteorological service said. In Passau, where the Danube River is joined by two other rivers, water levels topped a 500-year-old record Tuesday. At least two men are reported to have died in Germany's southwestern state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. A fireman died Saturday after suffering a heart attack while responding to flooding in Wilhelmsdorf, according to the state's Interior Ministry. On the same day, water swept away a laborer attempting to secure a construction site from flood waters in Bad Urach. He was found dead. A third man jumped into rushing flood waters in what the Interior Ministry said was an apparent suicide. He is not thought to have survived. While on a visit to affected areas Tuesday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel promised 100 million euros (more than $130 million) in emergency aid for those harmed by the floods. The German military has been aiding evacuation and flood defense efforts. Two men died in Austria in separate incidents as they cleared storm debris, Austrian Interior Ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundbock said. Three more people are missing, two of them swept away by flooded rivers. The flooding follows heavy rains in the region over the weekend. After a very wet spring that left the ground saturated, the rain could not be absorbed. Slovakia is also at risk of flooding from the surging Danube. Waters are quickly rising in Bratislava and have already reached high flood stage. Waters will continue to rise for the next 24 to 48 hours, CNN meteorologist Brandon Miller said. CNN's Sarah Brown contributed to this report.