Thousands evacuated as France declares flood emergency
Firefighters evacuate people in a small boat in a flooded street after the Yvette river burst its banks and forced residents to be evacuated in Longjumeau, south of Paris, on June 2, 2016 (AFP Photo/kenzo Tribouillard)Torrential rain forced thousands of people from their homes just south of Paris while the River Seine surged to its highest level for over 30 years in the French capital, shutting down the famed Louvre and Orsay museums and a metro line.
An 86-year-old woman was found dead in her flooded house in a small town southwest of Paris late on Wednesday, apparently the first death from the cloudburst that caused the Loire and Seine rivers to overflow their banks.
"Since yesterday it\’s just been a deluge," said Jerome Coiffier, an inhabitant of Longjumeau, less than 20 km (13 miles) south of Paris, where firemen wading thigh-deep in water rescued inhabitants using inflatable boats.
At least 3,000 out of 13,000 inhabitants were evacuated in Nemours, 75 km (45 miles) south of Paris, as floodwaters crept toward the second story of buildings in the town center.
Prolonged heavy rain also pounded parts of neighboring Germany and at least five people have died in floods in Bavaria state in the south of the country, officials said.
In Paris, the Seine rose above 5 meters (16 feet), forcing the SNCF rail operator to close a commuter line that runs along the river and is used by tourists to reach the Eiffel Tower and Notre-Dame Cathedral.
Meanwhile, the Louvre museum shut down and said it would remain closed on Friday to keep its priceless art safe. The Orsay museum of Impressionist art will also be shut on Friday. Both are located right by the Seine in central Paris.
The Seine could peak at 6 meters in Paris on Friday, officials said, stressing that was still well below the level where it would pose danger to residents. The river reached a record high of 8.6 meters in 1910.
President Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency in the worst affected areas and promised funding to help local authorities deal with flood damage. Unusually heavy rains in June showed the urgency to curb climate change, he said.
In the Loire Valley, Chambord castle, a UNESCO world heritage site, found itself surrounded by water.
The national weather service said the greater Paris region had in May endured its wettest month since 1960.
In the Loiret region, where local officials called on the army to help evacuate motorists trapped on the A10 motorway, the floods were the most severe in a century.
SOURCE: REUTERS
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