THE river Elbe has surged to an all-time record high, flooding more districts of the historic city of Dresden as authorities scrambled to evacuate tens of thousands of residents in the worst flooding to hit central Europe in memory. In the Czech Republic, authorities were counting the cost of the massive flooding as people returned to the homes and the Vlava river receded, revealing the full extent of the damage to lives and landmarks. The Danube running through the Slovak capital Bratislava also reached a peak of 9.86 metres overnight, topping the previous record before stabilising, Slovak authorities said. At...