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CNN Live Today

Drenched Prague Fears Surge

Aired August 14, 2002 - 11:08   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Right now, we turn to the disastrous flooding in Eastern Europe. Prague, for instance, is facing perhaps its most perilous point in the coming hours as the floodwaters from the Vltava River peak.
Our Mike Hanna is in Prague and files this report.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MIKE HANNA, CNN JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF (on camera): The waters may be subsiding in parts up to north, but here further to the south, the waters continue to rise. Flooding through the center of Prague with immense speed, immense velocity. This river is now running at some 5,000 square meters per second. That's around 18,000 feet per second. Now, that is 30 times as strongly as the river would normally run at this time of the year.

And you can just see the water crashing into that bridge, can see the force of the river as it comes in. This known as the Czech Bridge here locally. It is one of the many bridges that spans throughout the city of Prague. Some of these bridges already badly damaged, much damage as well to all of the surrounding areas.

The buildings around this particular area have all been evacuated. Tens of thousands of people have left their homes, the last of them coming out overnight as these floodwaters continue to rise.

Authorities expect the flood to reach its peak sometime in the early evening. They can't be specific about it.

Behind me is the National Assembly building. That's where the politicians are normally. Well, they are not there. They've evacuated as well, along with all of the other residents of this area.

Some 10 people have been killed in these floods throughout the whole of the Czech Republic, but the damage really beginning to be felt here in Prague.

And now, we are being told by city officials that it is not the worst flood in 100 years. It is the worst flood in 200 years.

So the situation here dire, as authorities struggle to contain these raging waters, struggle to limit the damage, and already huge amounts of damage have been done.

Mike Hanna, CNN, Prague. (END VIDEOTAPE)

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