Austria on Wednesday announced a package of measures in response to severe flooding across the country, including a tripling of the federal disaster fund and tax postponements for affected companies.

European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen on Thursday pledged billions of euros in aid for Central European countries that suffered enormous damage to infrastructure and housing during the massive flooding that has so far claimed 24 lives in the region.

A massive flood wave moving across Central Europe is threatening new areas and raising concerns among residents and officials

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

The storm that hit central Europe — which unleashed several months’ worth of rain in just a few days — was spawned by a rare combination of meteorological factors.

A storm system that has wreaked havoc across central Europe brought devastating floods to the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna on Thursday for the second year in a row, forcing people to leave their homes and schools to close.