Latest on flooding in Dresden
(16 Aug 2002) 1. Wide shot of city of Dresden with River Elbe in foreground 2. Wide exterior of the Zwinger art gallery 3. Various of workers carrying electricity generators to power dehumidifiers and security alarms 4. Worker unwinding large electricity cables 5. Closed gates of gallery 6. Various shots of flooded gallery from garden, pond visible within floodwater 7. SOUNDBITE: (German) Gregor Weiber, Assistant Director of Zwinger Gallery: "Because of the influx of dam water and the backwash from the full river that couldn't drain away, the Zwinger is now full of water. It is running at the moment into our painting storage facilities. But it's not as bad as it was the day before yesterday. It's a metre less than it was then." 8. Pan of flooded gardens of gallery 9. Various shots of River Elbe from bridge 10. People taking photos from bridge 11. Various shots of flooded river 12. Wide shot of dozens of police cars in street in Mickten district ready to evacuate residents 13. Local residents leaving houses carrying belongings 14. SOUNDBITE (German) Vox Pop: "I'm taking it easy, but I expect it (his house will be flooded) will happen." 15. SOUNDBITE (German) Vox Pop: "It is sad that we have to leave, but what can we do? Life has to go on and it will go on." 16. SOUNDBITE (German) Vox Pop: "I could cry, but it won't change anything. It is better to leave than to get flooded, but it is very, very sad." 17. Wide shot street with woman (from vox pop) walking away STORYLINE: Authorities evacuated thousands of people near Dresden's historic centre on Friday as floodwaters in the River Elbe reached an all-time high, spilling into the Zwinger gallery. The Elbe, fed by high water that earlier devastated Prague, rose to 8.9 meters (above 29 feet) early on Friday, shattering the previous all-time high of 8.76 meters (28 3/4 feet) reached in 1845. Despite this high level authorities expect that the river levels will continue to rise in the next few hours, cresting later Friday. By early morning water had inundated a city square in front of the 19th-century opera and also the famous Zwinger gallery which houses many important paintings. Both sites had suffered from flooding earlier in the week. The Zwinger has installed a generator to power dehumidifying equipment in an attempt to protect the art works from evaporating water. The management is also keen to maintain electricity supplies to their intruder alarms. Authorities also began the evacuation of up to 30,000 Dresden residents from their homes early on Friday, starting in a neighborhood about three kilometers (two miles) downstream the closest yet to the centre with its landmarks like the Church of Our Lady and the Semper Opera. At least 100 people have died in Europe's flooding; eleven were killed in Germany, but most casualties were in Russia, where the death toll stood at 59. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
