·

Severe rainstorms caused flooding and mudslides in southern France: 3 people dead, traffic heavily disrupted

severe-rainstorms-caused-flooding-and-mudslides-in-southern-france-3-people-dead-traffic-heavily-disrupted

Severe rainstorms accompanied with strong winds caused severe flooding and mudslides along the Mediterranean coast of France, on August 23 and August 24. Major flash-floods caused traffic disruption across the affected areas, and killed 3 people, so far.

In southern France, heavy rainfall caused three people to die. Two of them, an elderly couple, died in an accident in Montpellier, in the Languedoc-Roussillon region, as their car was swept away by flood water, the French Civil Protection authorities reported. Major traffic disruptions were also reported across the affected areas in the region of Languedoc.

Video credit: Euronews

One other person was reported dead in Thiezac, in Cantal department, as an uprooted tree fell over the passenger's caravan. 

A record rainfall of 164 mm (6.45 inches) has fallen in only half an hour in Montpellier, while 200 mm (7.87 inches) of rain was reported in a 24 hour period, near Lodève, on August 23.

24-hr rainfall accumulation until August 24, 2015 at 12:00 UTC. Image credit: Google / NASA/JAXA GPM.​

Strong winds have affected western, south-western and central-southern France.

Severe weather also caused the railways to shutdown across the affected areas. A high speed TGV has been forced to stop, and 250 passenger had to evacuated due to a mudslide caused by the severe rainstorm.​

Meteo France issued orange alerts on August 24, as more heavy rainfall could cause more flooding in parts of south-eastern France. At the same time, the central-western part of the country, including departments of Loire-Atlantique, Vendée, Indre, Vienne, Deux-Sèvres, Charente-Maritime, Maine-et-Loire and Indre-et-Loire, remains under the influence of strong winds.

Featured image: Flooding caused by severe storm, southern France, August 23, 2015. Image credit: Euronews.

Share:

Commenting rules and guidelines

We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:

  • Treat others with kindness and respect.
  • Stay on topic and contribute to the conversation in a meaningful way.
  • Do not use abusive or hateful language.
  • Do not spam or promote unrelated products or services.
  • Do not post any personal information or content that is illegal, obscene, or otherwise inappropriate.

We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *