The flooding, caused by unprecedented rainfall, has hit parts of western Germany before shifting to neighboring Belgium and the Netherlands. Several areas across the southern Netherlands remain evacuated after the river Maas rose to levels not seen in over a century on Saturday. In Venlo, a city that sits right on the Maas, 10,000 people had to leave their homes. The rapidly rising water levels forced volunteers and the military to race against the clock on Saturday to prepare the city for the flooding. The preparation paid off -- the Venlo regional security agency said the dikes and flood defenses held overnight and no major flooding was expected.

Source: CNN July 18, 2021 12:22 UTC