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CNN Live Saturday

Floods Overwhelm German Town

Aired August 17, 2002 - 17:17   ET

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

FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Well, hope is rising that many of the wonderful architectural treasures in Germany may be spared from disastrous flooding. The rain swollen Elbe River crested in Dresden today. Generator powered pumps are being used in the battle to protect the city's gems. CNN's Gavin Morris takes a look at the flood damage further downstream.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GAVIN MORRIS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: A neighborhood surrendered to the flood. These are the leaky suburbs of Bitterfeld after a dam broke, sending a wave of water in. More than 2,000 people lived in this part of the town. Not anymore.

(on camera): At first, many of the residents here refused to leave their homes, but now they're all gone, either coaxed out by the police or having abandoned their resolve. When they return, the scene here will be even more heartbreaking. The water is still expected to rise by another meter and a half.

(voice-over): The entire town could eventually succumb, when more water from Germany's swollen river system arrives sometime in the next day. So the authorities are telling all 16,000 residents to give the town up. Some of them, though, refuse to concede.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You go upstairs in the house, that's the house of my boyfriend, and we protect it to the last minute.

MORRIS: The only defense, sand bags. But with so many German towns now threatened, even those are becoming scarce.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It's never enough. It's a little bit to protect and it's all we can do.

MORRIS: For those determined to stay, it's not just the water that poses a problem. Bitterfeld is one of Germany's most polluted places. The fear now is that a flood through here could flush out a toxec tide. So many people have heeded the evacuation call, and this is one of the places they go.

A nearby gymnasium, a temporary home for those with nowhere else. They hope they won't be here long, but right now, in Bitterfeld, nobody has any idea when their homes will be safe again. Gavin Morris, CNN, Bitterfeld, Germany.

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