Danube Deluge

Soldiers filled more than 100,000 sandbags to hold back the rising Danube River Monday as southern Germany fought to contain the worst flooding in decades.

Surging waters have forced the evacuation of over 1,000 people -- including hospital patients and prison inmates -- and killed at least five in Germany, Austria and Switzerland since Saturday. Damage so far was estimated in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

Sunny skies and summer-like temperatures Monday gave the impression that the worst was over after ferocious rains pounded the Alps and floods cut off entire towns over the weekend. Lulled by the weather, hordes of curiosity-seekers headed to the banks of the Danube and the shores of Lake Constance.

Authorities complained the sightseers were getting in the way of emergency vehicles, and warned rising river and lake levels still posed a danger. "Our people are wearing life jackets, and there are people pushing around baby carriages," said a fireman in Ingolstadt who declined to give his name.

Bavarian official Guenther Beckstein warned that the curious could face fines up to $550.

Disaster alarms remained in place in eight cities, mostly along the Danube where the flooding was most severe.

A dam burst in Neustadt, flooding two villages with 1,500 residents. In Vohburg, 2,000 firemen, soldiers and volunteers worked feverishly to keep a dam there from breaking and inundating the town.

Authorities warned that dams in Ingolstadt were on the verge of breaking and said that the situation between Donauwoerth and Regensburg was critical. Floods were expected to reach Passau, near the Czech border, on Tuesday.

Lake Constance, nestled in the Alps where Germany, Switzerland and Austria meet, reached its highest level in 100 years, but officials said no emergency threatened.

In Neu-Ulm, river patrols were picking up residents who wanted to retreat to dry ground. "But they have to call from the windows or use a mobile phone," said patrol officer Kai Huster. "The phones aren't working anymore."

One family waded barefoot through knee-deep water near the evacuated hospital. Salvatore Marino was taking his two children to spend the night at his brother's. "The whole house smells like oil," he said. His wife added: "No electricity, no refrigerator. And we can just throw out everything we had in the basement."