Paris, Feb 18 — A man navigating the swollen Loire was swept away, officials reported, as western France remains on high alert for floods with more heavy rain forecast.
Paris, Feb 18 — A man navigating the swollen Loire was swept away, officials reported, as western France remains on high alert for floods with more heavy rain forecast.
Four départements are under red alert, the highest level, while nine more are on orange alert, indicating major to significant flooding within the next 24 hours.
The 53-year-old man fell from a small boat or kayak south of Angers, according to BFM TV. Search operations are ongoing, but senior official Francois Pesneau said the river’s strong current makes the likelihood of finding him “objectively little.”
In the nearby town of Denee, streets and houses are submerged, forcing residents to travel by boat. Municipal worker Jason Garnier said, “There’s no access anymore; the roads are not functional due to the floods. People who want to go to work leave by boat in the morning and return by boat in the evening.”
Monique Barbut noted that soil humidity levels across France are the highest since 1959, following over 30 days of bad weather.
Flooding this year has also severely affected Spain, Portugal, and Britain due to unusually heavy rainfall. — Reuters
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