Muddy torrents, that have destroyed once-fertile farmland, inundated homes and stranded thousands of residents continued to surge North along the Elbe River.
But the water level stabilized at around 9.5 meters (31 feet) overnight in the threatened town of Lauenburg, 40 kilometers (25 miles) Southeast of Hamburg, still almost twice as high as normal.
In the town of Hitzacker, where Merkel was expected, a small flood wall was keeping the water at bay and protecting the historic centre.
Authorities said they feared damage from tree trunks and other debris carried by the rushing waters, the Voice of Russia reported.
Rail traffic between Berlin and cities in the West has been redirected due to submerged tracks and the closure of a bridge in Saxony-Anhalt in the center of the country, leading to delays of up to two hours on some routes.
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