Flooding caused by Storm Adam has killed at least four people in France and injured one more. The storm sent water across large parts of the south of the country on Tuesday, flooding streets and making travel difficult.
Drownings in Bouches-du-Rhône and Corsica
Two women, aged 86 and 26, were found drowned in a cellar in the Bouches-du-Rhône region. Corsica was also struck by severe weather. Local media reported that a 4×4 vehicle was carried off by floodwaters on Tuesday. One of its occupants got out through a window, but another man was found dead.
Authorities have not released any further details about the fourth death.
Also read: Four dead as Storm Adam triggers flooding across eastern Spain
Residents sheltered near Marseille as roads and rail are cut
In the towns of Mouriès and Saint-Martin-de-Crau, which lie between Montpellier and Marseille, dozens of residents were moved into emergency shelters after the floods arrived. Officials said one person was hurt in that area.
Transport Minister Philippe Tabarot said in a post on X that roads and train lines in the area had also been disrupted. Jacques Witkowski, prefect of the Bouches-du-Rhône department, said in a statement on Wednesday that “the water has risen to unprecedented levels.”
Witkowski expressed “a thought for all those who are in distress,” adding: “We are mobilised at an exceptional level to resolve several issues.”
More storms forecast for western France
Further bad weather is expected. Storm Austen, a newly named weather system moving in from the Atlantic, is forecast to reach the north-west of the country. Météo-France, the national weather service, has issued an orange-level wind warning for five western departments from Thursday evening into Friday.
- Côtes-d’Armor
- Finistère
- Morbihan
- Ille-et-Vilaine
- Manche
Earlier deaths and aid in Spain
Storm Adam had already caused severe flooding in eastern Spain, where at least three people were killed. Several towns along the Mediterranean coast were cut off, and helicopters were used to rescue people stranded on rooftops.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said during a visit to the Valencia region on Tuesday that the national government would provide resources for reconstruction. The Valencian government approved an aid package of €23.5m (£20m) on the same day for those affected by the storm.
