Debris between houses is seen close to the Ahr river in Schuld, Germany
Raging floods caused by heavy rain-ravaged areas of Germany and Belgium on Thursday, destroying buildings and sweeping away vehicles with more than 30 people losing their lives in the natural disaster.
After homes were severely damaged, or in some cases swept away, local residents started to clean up the debris and rebuild some normality.
Emergency workers meanwhile continued to assist those still trapped and look for possible injured persons.
Authorities used inflatable boats and helicopters, and the German army deployed 200 soldiers to assist in the rescue operation.
Storms across parts of western Europe in recent days caused rivers and reservoirs to burst their banks, resulting in several flash floods overnight as rain-soaked soil failed to absorb any more water.
The full extent of the damage across the region was still unclear after many villages were cut off by floodwater and landslides that made roads impassable.
German weather service DWD predicted the rainfall would ease Thursday, though there might still be localized storms and water levels on the Mosel and Rhine rivers would continue to rise in the coming hours.
