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CNN Live Today

Dresden Fearing Flood Peak

Aired August 15, 2002 - 13:17   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Throughout the Czech Republic, flooding has caused damage in the billions of dollars to cities, towns and villages. And as the waters move northward, the German city of Dresden faces the same situation as Prague.
CNN's Gaven Morris has reached the ancient city -- the historic city, rather, along the rising Elbe River.

GAVEN MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredricka, what we are seeing here is an emergency very much still in progress. As you say, Prague has calmed down now, but the water is all still heading this way. It hasn't reached its peak yet. It's passed a couple of deadlines, but still the waters rise. And the city officials have pretty much given up predicting when the river may reach its peak here.

I am just going to step away for a moment and let you take a look behind me. That is normally a road that runs alongside the river Elbe there; not now. It's a large torrent of water now.

I was standing on the other side of those barricades about 24 hours ago, probably about 17 meters in. It would be about up to my neck now I think if I was there. So that's how much it has come up in that time.

A little beyond that, you can see the bridge there with many of Dresden's citizens out and about. That's what's been happening all day, because there is no deadline, because the citizens don't really know what to expect, they are all out and about, watching the river and wondering when it might reach its peak -- Fredricka.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks very much, Gaven, I appreciate it.

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