Latvian authorities on Sunday urged residents of some central regions to evacuate their homes in response to the worst flooding the Baltic country has seen in decades. "It will be nearly impossible to extricate you from the frozen sludge once it rushes into your house," Jekabels Mayor Raivis Ragini warned on local radio. Particularly fair is Jekapils and the city of Plains and its surroundings, where the flow of the Daugava River has been blocked by ice that drifted inland from Belarus. "Snowflakes and torrents of cold water quickly took over our city," Jekabels resident Maris Kodulis told AFP. "These are the worst floods since 1981," he said, adding that current water levels are only five centimeters (two inches) lower than the record set for that year. A new dam was built 10 years ago as a precaution, but it began to collapse on Saturday under the pressure of the ice. A number of excavators were deployed to reinforce the dam with new piles of sandbags on Sunday. "The dam has survived so far because we are constantly working on strengthening it, but the situation is still tense," said Rajini, the mayor. "There is no guarantee that it will withstand the harsh conditions," he added. Rescuers deployed float tanks - a type of amphibious vehicle - to evacuate residents, although so far the majority have chosen to stay where they are. "Thank God, no one has drowned or been injured so far," Army Captain Alexands Schwiegons, who commanded the military rescue operation, told AFP. "Today, our floating tanks are visiting five remote farms, evacuating people, and delivering food and supplies to those who are staying," he added. Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins and President Eagles Levitz organized a crisis management meeting in the capital, Riga.