The western French department of Indre-et-Loire on Monday was still under a red alert regime declared over the weekend due to the risk of flooding, Anadolu Ajansı reports.
Local authorities issued flood warnings for the region and said more than 100 firefighters and soldiers were on hand to help residents on Sunday. More than 350 people have contacted emergency services for help since the flooding began.
Footage appeared on social media showing water flowing down a main street in Montmorillon.
Intense rainfall triggered the overflow of the Gartempe river, after which part of the streets along with cars were submerged under floodwaters. The water level in the river exceeded 5 metres, two metres higher than usual.
On Sunday evening, the water level in the Vienne River rose to 5.24 metres (17.19 feet) and in the Creuse River to 6.78 metres, surpassing the 1982 record. Rescuers continue to search for a kayaker who disappeared Saturday in the flooded the Vienne River.
French authorities urged residents to heed their warnings on Saturday night, detailing how a local motorist needed rescuing after he ignored their advice on road rules and was subsequently “trapped in the water” with his family.
Residents were advised to postpone travelling and take shelter upstairs in their homes if possible and only evacuate when instructed to do so by the authorities. Those who were evacuated were housed in a local gymnasium as a shelter.
French scientists believe global warming is the cause of the intense rainfall. France was already hit by floods in January. About 1,500 people were left without electricity in the French department of Pas-de-Calais in the north of the country as a result of another severe floods.
Last November, northern France faced record heavy rain and high waves. For several days in a row, the national meteorological service Météo-France marked the highest – “red” – natural threat status in the region. Thousands of people faced water supply disruptions, hundreds of households were left without electricity, and several people were injured.
