Storm Monica hits France with very heavy rains
Storm Monica swept across France on March 8 and 9, 2024, bringing very heavy rain to the country’s southeast where some areas recorded more than 300 mm (11.8 inches) of rain in 48 hours.
As a result, severe flooding was reported in the departments of Gard, Ardèche and Var, leaving 3 fatalities and 7 people missing.
In Gard, local authorities have confirmed three fatalities and four missing individuals following flood-induced incidents from the evening of March 9 to the early hours of March 10. A vehicle was swept from a bridge in Gagnières, leading to an extensive search operation. Despite locating the vehicle, rescuers have been unable to access it as of early March 10.
A similar incident occurred in Dions, where a vehicle carrying a family was overwhelmed by floodwaters, resulting in the mother’s rescue and hospitalization. Efforts to find the remaining three family members are ongoing. Another search operation was underway in Goudargues for two individuals missing after their vehicle was caught in the floods.
In the department of Ardèche, a hydroelectric power station manager in the village of Saint Martin de Valamas went missing on March 9 while in the Var Department, firefighters rescued 17 motorists trapped by waters. Additionally, 90 people in the department were evacuated from high-risk areas.
Emergency service said over 250 firefighters, including specialized water rescue teams, drones, and dog units were mobilized in Gard alone. Helicopter support from Civil Security has also been deployed, with 176 interventions reported in a matter of hours.
The weather conditions across the country improved by Monday, March 11, but some areas across the southeast were still wet while the southwest experienced locally stormy showers.
References:
1 Three dead as storms batter France – euronews – March 11, 2024
2 France – Seven People Missing After Severe Floods in Gard, Ardèche and Var – FloodList – March 10, 2024
Featured image credit: EUMETSAT/Meteosat-10, RAMMB/CIRA, The Watchers. Acquired at 10:30 UTC on March 8, 2024
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