Dresden evacuated as waters rise

The Elbe river in Dresden, Germany, surpassed the expected high-water mark and continued to rise Thursday.

DRESDEN, Germany (CNN) -- Central Dresden was being evacuated late Thursday amid fears that a wave might wash over the city after a dam break downstream.

All efforts to save the historic buildings in the city were abandoned, said officials, who expect flooding to reach a peak by 1 a.m. Friday (7 p.m. EDT).

The level of the swollen River Elbe is already well above the predicted peak, and although the dam that broke is downstream of the city, officials expect a rebounding wave to sweep into Dresden. The river has reached heights not seen since 1845.

The latest danger from the flooding which has devastated whole areas of Europe and killed more than 100 came as a state of emergency was announced in the Slovakian capital of Bratislava.

Soldiers reinforced flood barriers along the Danube amid concern that the worst of the floods will not arrive until Friday when water levels could reach their highest since 1500.

AID CONTACTS • IFRC Czech Republic  • IFRC Germany  • IFRC Slovakia  • IFRC Austria  • IFRC Russia  • Prague Post  • People In Need Foundation    CNN NewsPass VIDEO Record-breaking floods continue to roar through Europe (August 15) Play video With the river Elba slowly rising, residents of Dresden, Germany are bracing for an onslaught of floodwaters. CNN's Gaven Morris reports (August 15) Play video   MORE STORIES • Floods could cost $7 billion  • Floods fear for Dresden  • 'Darkest hours' for Austrians  • Lion, hippo and bear among flood victims    EXTRA INFORMATION Flooding around Europe in pictures  Map: Most severely impacted areas    YOUR SAY • Are you hit by the floods? E-mail  your stories   RESOURCES • Prague: Five-day weather forecast

In the Czech Republic, potentially deadly chlorine gas was leaking into the air from a chemical plant near Prague after flood waters damaged the factory, the plant's owner Unipetrol said.

A third-degree alert was issued -- the highest level short of evacuation -- as a huge yellow cloud rose from the Spolana plant, 12 miles north of Prague on the Elbe.

Greenpeace said 90 percent of the company sites were under water.

"The impact from flooding at the chemical factory escalated this afternoon when a chlorine cloud forced residents to seek safety indoors," the environmental campaign organization said.

In Prague, scene of some of the worst flooding, water levels were receding but the cost to the city alone was said to be likely to pass the $2 billion mark.

International aid agencies stepped up efforts to try and help the victims across a swathe of European countries. (Connery shocked)

Meanwhile the Austrian government said it would delay tax cuts and cut its order of Eurofighter jets from 24 to 18 in a bid to keep control over its budget after announcing a financial aid package for flood victims.

The original Eurofighter deal was worth $1.8 billion. No final contract had been signed. Seven people died and some 10,000 homes are thought to have been left uninhabitable by floods in northern Austria earlier this week.

Towns at risk

In Dresden, CNN's Gaven Morris said the atmosphere in the city was "very much one of an emergency in progress."

Irina Duevel, a spokeswoman for Lower Saxony's Interior Ministry, said: "The tributaries around the Elbe are overflowing and the Elbe is still rising."

Other German towns at risk include Dessau and Bitterfeld, home of pharmaceuticals giant Bayer AG.

One-hundred million euros of aid have been pledged by the government to help those directly affected, but Saxony says 1 billion euros will be needed.

Exodus scenes, with people fleeing to the suburbs with their luggage, were described as being reminiscent of World War II.

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