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.

Residents were transported by boat from their homes in southern Poland on Sunday, September 15, as torrential rain caused deadly flooding across parts of the country.Video released by the General Command of the Armed Forces in Poland shows residents on a boat being rescued alongside a dog.

Soldiers dropped sandbags from military helicopters to reinforce river embankments and evacuated residents as the worst flooding in years spread Tuesday to a broad swath of Central Europe, taking lives and destroying homes.

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.

By Barbara Erling WROCLAW, Poland (Reuters) -Flood defences in Poland's third-largest city Wroclaw looked to have held firm on Thursday, after the worst floods in at least two decades ravaged central Europe this week.

Exceptionally heavy rainfall has been pounding Central Europe and has prompted deadly flooding in the region, with four new deaths reported in Poland, three in Czech Republic and one in Romania.

Poland's third-largest city Wroclaw was bracing for peaking flood waters on Thursday, with early indications its defences were holding firm, after the worst floods in at least two decades ravaged central Europe this week.