Merkel makes fourth visit to flood-hit regions

The Elbe river is expected to peak in Germany\'s northern state Schleswig-Holstein on Wednesday while Chancellor Angela Merkel made her fourth visit to the flood-stricken regions. Floodwater continues to surge northwards along the Elbe river, and high water level threatened the town of Lauenburg, 40 km southeast of Hamburg. Merkel visited the town and then headed for neighboring Lower Saxony state. She praised the rescue efforts and paid tribute to \"all who protect every meter of the dike day and night.\" During her previous trips, Merkel had already visited disaster areas in Bavaria, Saxony, Thuringia, Saxony-Anhalt and Brandenburg. On the whole, flood situations in Germany began to subside Wednesday, leaving a total damage cost of about 12 billion euros, according to Fitch Ratings\' estimation. The disastrous flood left at least 19 people dead in central Europe. Economy Minister Philipp Roesler told local media on Tuesday the government would establish an aid fund for stricken residents and businesses, adding that the amount of the fund would be determined after calculating the cost of the damage. Merkel will meet leaders of the country\'s 16 states on Thursday to discuss the aftermath of the flood and rebuilding efforts.