Southern Germany is struggling with some of the worst flooding it's seen in years. At least 4 people are confirmed dead and thousands more have been forced to leave their homes. DW has been speaking to people in the Bavarian town of Manching.
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00:01Trying to save what still can be saved.
00:04Hundreds of sandbags are piled up by the residents of Manching,
00:08hoping to protect their houses after a dam broke a few kilometers upstream.
00:13Others have already given up, like Günter Hebding, who watches on helplessly.
00:19The cellar is filling up with water. It's coming in from all directions.
00:25We have to see what comes next.
00:27I don't know. I have no idea.
00:33The main road has been entirely submerged.
00:36Affected residents are aghast by the disaster they are experiencing.
00:41Martin Celler and his wife have tried their best, but the floods were too strong.
00:46Their house is also filling up with water.
00:49This is a catastrophe. I've never experienced anything like it.
00:54This much water, it's bad.
00:58What does the situation look for you?
01:01The cellar is under water. Everything is destroyed.
01:07In the parts of the town that are still dry, people are using the time to prepare.
01:14Andreas Wiewel is getting more sandbags as the water is just meters away from his house.
01:21Of course it's nerve-wracking.
01:23I'm afraid for my house after seeing what happened to some of the other houses.
01:27Of course I don't want that.
01:29My wife and children had to leave. They've gone to the grandparents.
01:34Here in Manching people are in deep shock.
01:38What used to be the center of their town is now completely flooded.
01:42People are trying to pump the water out of their basements,
01:46which has gone everywhere, even up to ground level here.
01:51But one thing keeps everyone going. Solidarity.
01:55People from all over the town have come together
01:58to fill up sandbags that affected neighbors can then pick up.
02:04It's simple. We all help each other out.
02:09And while everyone is hoping for the best,
02:12the real extent of the damage will only be seen once the water levels recede.