Forecasters have warned of more torrential downpours, which are likely to worsen flood hit areas of western Europe. At least seven people have been killed and thousands have been forced from their homes.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/O.Usta
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The German states of Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate, which have already been hit by four days of severe flooding, have been warned to expect further storms.
Water levels are expected to continue rising in both states, along with parts of North Rhine-Westphalia in the west, forecasters warned. Six people have died in flooding in Lower Bavaria.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel paid tribute to those who had lost their lives.
"The federal government is grieving for those who received help too late," she said, adding that the response to the disaster showed how "we stick together in Germany."
About 3,500 homes in Bavaria are now without electricity after floods up to 1 meter (3.3 ft) in height struck many towns. Rescue helicopters were dispatched to Lower Bavaria rescue people from the roofs of their homes.
On Thursday, a 75-year-old resident of the Bavarian town of Simbach am Inn was confirmed dead, and the German death toll now stands at six.
The bodies of three other people were found in the same town on Wednesday evening. In nearby Julbach, the body of a woman was also discovered in a stream Wednesday evening. Four people are still missing. The death of an 86-year-old woman has also been reported in France.
German officials estimated the flood damage would likely exceed 10 million euros ($11.2 million), and Bavarian Premier Horst Seehofer pledged "quick and unbureaucratic help" for those impacted, adding that the state "won't abandon those affected, some of whom have lost their whole homes."
Flooding in France
Meanwhile, France's meteorological service said that severe flood alerts remained in effect in two Paris-area departments, while lower-threat level flood warnings were put in place in eight other departments, including three on the German border.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/B. Guay
Floodwaters in Paris are forecast to peak on Friday with the River Seine due to reach 6m (19ft) above its normal level. Across the Paris region, thousands of people have been evacuated and some 24,400 homes were without power. The Loing River, a tributary of the Seine that runs through the French capital, has risen to levels unseen in a century, since Paris was swamped by a massive flood.
Emergency barriers have been erected in Paris to protect the city's vital infrastructure. Rail operator SNCF has been forced to close the RER C suburban underground train service that runs along the Seine.
The Louvre and Orsay museums have been shut so staff can move priceless artworks to safety.
Declaring a state of emergency for worst affected areas, French President Francois Hollande also promised money to help local authorities deal with the damage.
The torrential rains have also hit the French Open tennis tournament, washing out play earlier in the week, leaving players hoping to reach the finals facing a heavy schedule of matches
The flooding has also affected several areas of Belgium, after heavy rain hit northern Antwerp and the west of Flanders. Eastern areas around Limburg and Liege have also seen waters rise, leading to the evacuation of several neighborhoods after streets were submerged.
Schools and roads have also been flooded in Austria in recent days, though the waters have now receded.
Major floods in Europe
Recent floods have created havoc across northern Europe, resulting in at least 9 deaths. With the authorities currently swamped, DW takes a look at some major floods which have affected Europe in the last half a century.
Image: Imago/ZUMA Press
2014 Southeast Europe floods
In May, 2014, a low-pressure cyclone affected a large area of Southeastern and Central Europe, causing floods and landslides. Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina suffered the greatest damage due to the heaviest rains in over 120 years. At least 86 people died and thousands were forced from their homes. Assessments of the damage range up to 3.5 billion euros.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Karadarevic
2012 Krasnodar Krai floods
The Krasnodar Krai floods occurred near the coast of the Black Sea, southwest Russia in July, 2012. At least 171 people died due to the floods and nearly 13,000 homes were destroyed. The floods were part of the aftermath of an intense storm that hit Krasnodar, dropping almost half a year’s worth of rainfall on the region over two days. Close to 30,000 people were affected by the floods.
Image: picture-alliance/Ria Novosti/M. Mokrushin
2010 Central European floods
The 2010 Central European floods were a devastating series of weather events, which occurred across several Central European countries during May and June, 2010. Poland was the worst affected, while Austria, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia and Ukraine also felt the effects. At least 37 people died in the floods and some 23,000 people had to be evacuated.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Pisecky
2009 European floods
The 2009 European floods were a series of natural disasters that took place in June, 2009 in Central Europe. Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia and Turkey were affected. The heavy rains caused the rivers Oder, Vistula, Elbe and Danube to burst their banks. At least 33 people were killed in the floods.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/B. KALLOS
Floods in Jarovnice 1998
Jarovnice is a village and municipality in Sabinov District in northeastern Slovakia. Heavy rains on July 20, 1998, brought about the worst floods in Slovak history, changing otherwise quiet rivers into a lethal force. The tragic results of these destructive floods were 63 dead, over 3,000 people evacuated from their homes and 2,000 houses destroyed.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Pisecky
1997 Central European floods
The 1997 Central European floods affected Poland, Germany, and the Czech Republic, causing material damages estimated at 3.8 billion euros in the Czech Republic and Poland and another 330 million in Germany. The flooding began in the Czech Republic and later spread to Poland and Germany. The floods caused the deaths of 105 to 115 people in Czech Republic and Poland.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Pleul
‘Valtellina disaster’
This disaster occurred in the northern Italian Alps in July-August 1987. It involved heavy rainfall and glacier melting. The debris from the Val Pola rock avalanche and landslide dammed up the Adda River creating a lake with 6 million cubic meters of water. The landslide itself obliterated 5 villages and six hamlets, and 43 people died of various disaster-related causes.
Image: Imago/Sven Simon
Vajont Dam disaster 1963
The Vajont Dam is a disused dam in the valley of the Vajont River, north of Venice, Italy. On October 9, 1963, 260 million cubic meters of rock broke off from the top of Monte Toc. 'The debris fell into the reservoir of the Vajont Dam, producing an enormous wave of at least 50 million cubic meters of water. Flooding destroyed several villages in the valley and killed 1,917 people.
