Soldiers and volunteers in southwestern Poland laid sandbags Wednesday near swollen rivers around the city of Wroclaw to protect homes and businesses after days of flooding across Central Europe. Poland joins Austria,

Heavy rains caused severe flooding in Central Europe, affecting countries like Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, and Romania.

Volunteers and emergency personnel worked through the night to fortify the Polish city of Wrocław against approaching flood waters, while Hungary opened a dam as the prime minister warned a "crucial period" was approaching.