European Flood Deaths Rise To 42

Large Swathes Of Central And Southern Europe Remain Underwater

(AP) 
The ground floor of the Benedictine monastery, which draws 500,000 visitors a year, was submerged Thursday, said Father Benedikt, the monastery's prior.

"The community is working feverishly to rescue what it can," Benedikt told The Associated Press.

A 28-year-old man became the first victim of the floods in Germany late Wednesday, drowning near the southeastern town of Rosenheim when his rubber dinghy capsized.

Elsewhere in Switzerland, much of the historic old city of Lucerne remained underwater. More than 350 policemen, firefighters and volunteers worked around the clock to remove debris and protect buildings as children played in flooded squares and streets.

There was some good news: Swiss railways said main routes through the Alps connecting northern and southern Europe were open again. The national weather service MeteoSuisse predicted more rain Friday in Switzerland's northern Alps, but said it appeared unlikely to dramatically worsen the situation.

In southern Poland, rivers broke their banks and at least seven bridges collapsed, but there were no reports of injuries caused by flooding.

Swiss Reinsurance, the world's second-largest reinsurer, said economic losses from the flooding could reach $791 million dollars in Switzerland, Austria and Germany.