The European Union will make billions of euros available to help central Europe recover from severe floods, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Thursday, as she pledged support for regions that have been devastated by the deluge.

A massive floodwave moving across Central Europe is threatening new areas and raising concerns among residents and leaders.

The storm that hit central Europe — which unleashed several months’ worth of rain in just a few days — was spawned by a rare combination of meteorological factors.