About 70,000 people in Prague have been forced to flee their homes as floods continue to cause havoc.

Czech firefighters are trying to shore up weakening dams against the swollen Vltava river as heavy rains unleash some of the worst flooding in Europe in decades.

The death toll from flooding in Russia's Black Sea Coast has risen to 55.

Homes and businesses have been evacuated in the German city of Dresden as the Elbe River approached record flood levels.

Tens of thousands of people in Germany are being told to get out of their homes because of severe floods.

Police in Prague are allowing tourists back into the historic square as the threat from flooding appears to have eased.

50,000 people have been ordered from their homes in Prague as the swollen Vltava river threatens to engulf parts of the city.

The death toll from the widespread flooding in Germany has risen to 10.

A man has drowned and three other people are missing as heavy rain and flooding continues in southern Germany.

Czech police have evacuated the Old Town of Prague due to the fears of flooding.

Scores of animals have died at Prague Zoo as keepers struggled to save them from flood waters.

Priceless works of art and historic cultural landmarks appear to have been saved from the devastating floods in Prague and Dresden.

Nick Thorpe reports from Austria where scientists claim the current flooding could have been prevented.

Rescuers rush art works to higher floors as floodwater strikes ornate Baroque buildings restored after wartime bombing.

Tension mounts in the Czech capital amid fears that the rising river Vltava may burst through defences and swamp the historic Old Town.

A Czech theatre company at the Edinburgh Fringe speak of their helplessness as flooding in Prague threatens their families and livelihood.

Flooding in Europe looks set seriously to disrupt the Czech Republic's economy, forcing the government to borrow more.

Some people returned home as flood waters in Prague receded, but many areas of the historic city remained off-limits after the worst flooding in 200 years.

The people of the Slovakian capital breathe a cautious sigh of relief but the danger has not yet passed.

More than 90 people are killed as floods sweep through countries from Germany to Russia.

Flood waters in historic Dresden appear to stabilise at record levels, but other east German cities remain under threat of being swamped.

Flood levels on the river Elbe are at a record high, forcing thousands of people from their homes as the city tries to protect its treasures.

The people of Bratislava are anxiously hoping the flood wave will pass without the river rising further.

BBC journalist Michal Ruzicka and his family were among those evacuated from the Karlin district of Prague, along with thousands of others.

A dam in south-east Germany bursts and cities are on the alert as flood waters sweep in from the Czech Republic.

The German government, keen not to be seen as tight-fisted in an election year, promises a generous response to patch up flood damage.

Images of the floods which have swept across Europe.

Images of the flooding causing havoc in Russia and parts of eastern and central Europe.

The Vltava river is on the brink of bursting through flood barriers in the Czech capital, as more people flee their homes across the country.

Thousands are evacuated from the heart of the Czech capital, threatened by floods that are causing havoc across Europe.

As water levels start to recede, Prague surveys the damage inflicted by the worst floods in the Czech capital for 200 years.

The Czech capital, currently enduring its worst floods in more than a century, is one of Europe's most treasured cities.

The BBC's Ray Furlong assesses the aftermath of the severe flooding of the Czech Republic's ancient capital Prague.

Rescue work continues on Russia's Black Sea coast where 21 die in flooding, as other parts of Europe suffer severe downpours.

An emergency is declared after floods strike the Black Sea coast, leaving at least two dead and forcing hundreds to evacuate.

An elephant and a hippopotamus are dead and a gorilla is missing after flood waters swamped Prague's zoo.

The southern German city of Dresden continued its evacuation of residents and treasures as officials warned the river level had yet to reach its peak.

Flood waters are continuing to retreat from record levels in some parts of the Czech capital Prague, allowing the clean-up operation to begin and residents to return to their homes.

Andrew Gardner, editor at Prague-based Internet magazine Transitions Online (TOL), tells CNN how people living and working in Prague are coping with the flood damage to their homes and property, and the massive clean-up operation.

Heavy rains across central and eastern Europe have created flooding conditions not seen for centuries. Recent news, articles and multimedia resources.

The swelled Labe rivers has started receding in the whole of the North Bohemian Usti nad Labem region.

The raging river Vltava came close to submerging Prague's historic city centre and two of the city's districts last night, as the rising torrent put hours of work and thousands of sandbags to the test.

Some 50,000 people were ordered out of their homes in Prague late last night as the biggest flood for more than a century threatened to swamp the medieval quarter of the Czech capital.

Floodwaters produced a fresh crisis in the Czech Republic today as the owner of a chemical plant confirmed a leak of toxic chlorine gas 20km from the capital, Prague.

The bill to repair homes and businesses in flood-stricken countries in mainland Europe is estimated at more than ?6bn and could increase as the waters rise, raising the threat of huge insurance claims

A personal account from the floods in Germany.

Images and pictures of the European flooding.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Germany, Slovakia, Hungary and Romania were waiting anxiously last night to see if the flood defences they have put in place would hold over the next few days as a renewed surge of water swept down the Elbe and Danube rivers.

Floodwaters were continuing to rise in Prague today, threatening the homes of more than 50,000 people. Across Europe, numerous rivers have burst their banks, punched their way through dams and bridges, and severed roads and railway lines.

German officials warned last night of an environmental disaster if floodwater surging down the river Elbe swamped the huge chemicals complex at Bitterfeld, south-west of Berlin.

Emergency workers in the Czech capital of Prague today struggled to evacuate residents and tourists and save the city's historic Charles bridge from flood waters that have already claimed nine lives.

Thousands of people were evacuated from areas near Dresden's historic centre today as floodwaters in the Elbe river reached an all-time high, spilling into a square close to some of the city's cultural landmarks.

The death toll from flooding across eastern and central Europe rose to at least 87 last night, with tens of thousands of people forced to flee the rising waters

The rain-lashed faces of the 28 stone saints which line Prague's famous 14th century Charles bridge were managing to keep their heads above water last night, but, like much of the city, they were close to succumbing to the raging waters of the Vltava river.

"Emperor Akihito has sent a telegram to Czech President Vaclav Havel expressing his sympathy to the residents affected by the massive floods in the Central European country, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday"

Hundreds of photos of the Prague (Czech Republic) floods taken during the days of the disaster hitting on the 12th of August 2002.

JS Kelly's translations of Czech media news reports on the Czech Republic floods.

Latest news, articles and reports.

Floods have retreated from record levels in many parts of Prague, allowing some residents to return home, but estimates of the cost of the calamity rose as fast as the waters fell.