Affected Germans compare floods to WWII 'bomb raid'

At least 19 people have died and dozens of people are missing in Germany after heavy flooding turned streams and streets into raging torrents, sweeping away cars and causing some buildings to collapse.

Authorities in the western county of Euskirchen said Thursday that eight deaths had been reported there in connection with the floods.

In the historic spa town of Bad Muenstereifel in Euskirchen, residents said they felt the damage was akin to a bombing.

"What you see here now is worse than after a bombing raid," said resident Rosa Lahagner, adding that local businesses would face difficulties for years to come.

Another resident, Siegfried Berg, called it "an emergency like World War II."

Rescue operations were hampered by the fact that phone and internet connections were down in part of the region, which is southwest of Cologne.

Authorities have declared an emergency in the region after days of heavy rainfall that also affected large parts of western and central Germany, as well as neighbouring countries, causing widespread damage.

German weather service DWD predicted the rainfall would ease Thursday.