Saxony floods continue

Many homes in the eastern German state of Saxony stood under water Monday for the second time in a week, as rivers in the region rose again.

"It's very bitter for those affected," said a spokesperson for the county government in "Saxon Switzerland", a district in the Elbe Sandstone Mountains where the Kirnitzsch River Monday morning swelled to the highest alarm point.

The spokesperson added that residents of several of the homes that were inundated Monday had just begun rebuilding after the last flood struck a week ago.

The region received rainfall of over 40 liters per square meter (1.57 inches) overnight, causing rivers to rise, flooding roads and triggering landslides.

Kati Halle, another spokesperson for the county government, told dpa news agency that the surge was over and that there had been no new deaths or injuries - but that flooding remained in several towns.

Damage reaches hundreds of millions of euros

Parts of Saxon Switzerland and eastern Saxony have been under water since floods began a week ago, killing several people. The damage was already estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of euros. The neighboring German state of Brandenburg, as well as the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia were also affected.

Before Monday's new wave of floods, Saxony's state premier, Stanislaw Tillich, assured that his government would do all it could to help those in need.

"We will not forsake anyone whose existence is threatened by the August floods. We will look at each individual case," he said Sunday in Dresden. "No one must fear for their existence."

Author: David Levitz (AP/dpa)

Editor: Matt Hermann