Storm Boris death toll hits 17

Flooding sparked by Storm Boris in central Europe has burst dams, knocked out power and killed at least 17 people, authorities said Monday as some communities were cut off four days into the disaster.

High winds and unusually heavy rainfall have hit swathes of Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia since Friday.

The rains have flooded streets and submerged entire neighbourhoods in some places, while shutting down public transport and electricity in others.

So far, the storm has caused the deaths of seven people in Romania, four in Poland, three in Austria and three in the Czech Republic, according to the latest tallies. Several people remain missing.

"I have lived here for 16 years, and I have never seen such flooding," Judith Dickson, who lives in Austria's Sankt Poelten city, told the national broadcaster ORF.

Experts say climate change caused by greenhouse gas emissions generated by human activities is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as torrential rains and floods.

In Austria, three people -- a 70-year-old, an 80-year-old and a firefighter -- have died in Lower Austria, the worst-effected province in the Alpine nation.

Parts of Austria have been hit since Thursday by five times the average amount of rain they get for the entire month of September, according to forecaster Geosphere. The flooding has broken 12 dams, with muddy rivers raging, while thousands of households were without electricity and water in Lower Austria, authorities said.