Hungarians evacuate as floods ravage central Europe
Locals chat on a temporary dam during flooding along the River Danube, in Kisoroszi, north of the Hungarian capital Budapest on June 7, 2013. Emergency services and volunteers worked through the night in Hungary as flood waters threatened towns and villages along the Danube, having already caused chaos upstream in Germany and Austria. AFP PHOTO / FERENC ISZA (Photo credit should read FERENC ISZA/AFP/Getty Images)
Authorities in Hungary have been evacuating residents from a riverside village as the swollen River Danube threatens to cause the worst flooding the country has ever seen.
About 2,000 people were moved from the village of Gyorujfalu late on Friday because a dyke weakened after a landslide.
As the water levels continue to rise, Prime Minister Viktor Orban warned that Hungary faces record flooding.
River levels are expected to peak in Budapest on Monday but the city's mayor Istvan Tarlos, said he believes its flood defenses should keep the city safe.
Budapest expects a record of nearly 30 feet of water in the capital, higher than the Danube's previous record high in 2006.
In a worst case scenario, 55,000 people may need to be evacuated, Tarlos told the BBC.
Surging waters have already brought deadly flooding to parts of Austria, Germany and the Czech Republic, killing at least 15 people.
Some small towns and villages in Hungary have already been cut off by the flooding.
Rescuers bringing food and help can only reach one village, Kisoroszi, by boat and helicopter.
Kisoroszi is expected to remain cut off for at least a week, authorities said.
In Germany, 80,000 emergency personnel are on hand to battle waters flowing out of the swollen Elbe River.
Thousands of people have been evacuated in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.
According to the European Commission, as of Friday, 12,000 people had been evacuated across Saxony where many areas remain under water. Electricity, transportation and water supplies are still disrupted.
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