Environment

France Flooding: At Least 19 People Dead After Storms (Video)

by Amy Judd | June 16, 2010 at 10:44 am

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Flash Floods in France Have Killed At Least 19 People With a Dozen Still Missing

Severe storms and rain have killed at least 19 people in the French Riviera and the streets of small French towns are like raging rivers or brown water. About 12 people are still unaccounted for and rescue crews and police are looking for them.

Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux, visiting the region, said the death toll "unfortunately, may climb."

This area of France, very popular with tourists, is now a scene of devastation as some cars and parts of homes were swept away and now the visitors are staying away as over 3,000 rescue workers arrive in the region.

Eleven of the people killed were in Draguignan in the Riviera according to the Associated Press, and evacuations of all residents have now been carried out.

Thousands of people are without power or phones and about 1,200 people are living in shelters. The train between Toulon and Nice is still closed, but the rain is expected to let up Wednesday night.

"We've never seen so much rain in the month of June," said Patrick Galois of the national weather service. He said some 40 centimeters (16 inches) of rain had fallen in the hardest-hit area of Arcs, near Draguignan. "That corresponds with average rainfall in six months."

Nicolas Sarkozy said that his:

"first thoughts go out to the victims," and underscored his "solidarity with the inhabitants of the Var region who have had to go through this very difficult natural disaster,"