Soldiers and residents in southwestern Poland are laying sandbags near swollen rivers around the city of Wroclaw to protect homes and businesses after days of flooding across Central Europe.

The death toll from the severe flooding in Central Europe has risen to at least 23, according to the latest tally after another victim was confirmed. In the Czech Republic, a fifth death was announced by Interior Minister Vit Rakušan on Thursday.

Residents of several areas of Poland and the Czech Republic rushed to evacuate on Monday as others in central Europe began cleaning up after the worst flooding in over two decades left a trail of destruction and a rising number of deaths.

Soldiers have dropped sandbags from military helicopters to reinforce river embankments and evacuated residents as the worst flooding in years spreads across Central Europe, taking lives and destroying homes.

Floodwaters have ravaged cities throughout Central Europe this past week, wreaking havoc and leaving everything in a pool of murky water.

At least eight people died Monday in flooding throughout Central Europe, bringing the death toll to at least 17 in Romania, Poland, the Czech Republic and Austria since slow-moving Storm Boris hit the region Friday.

Poland joins Austria, the Czech Republic and Romania in being hard hit by floods after record rains in the region that started a week ago. Authorities have reported 23 deaths, with seven each in Poland and Romania, five in Austria and four in the Czech Republic.

Watch a view of the scene at the swollen Oder River in Wroclaw on Thursday 19 September as severe flooding causes devastation in Poland. Central Europe is experiencing the worst floods in at least two decades,