A powerful storm named Alex struck parts of France and Italy with fierce winds accompanied by torrential rain. The resulting floods and landslides led to destruction of communication links like roads and bridges in areas north of Nice. It also resulted in disruption of Travel. The climatic disorder took people by surprise as a portion of a bridge gave way. Infrastructure suffered damages with loss of power. It was the worst flood in decades and French Prime Minister Jean Castex had to deploy the army. He also released emergency funds to tackle the situation.

There were reports of people missing. As the prime minister said - “There are very many people of whom we have no news." Prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes region was cautious. He explained that there are people who might be having difficulties in contacting others due to various reasons. One of these could be because of breakdown of communication links, which cannot be ruled out.

The BBC says the Met department confirms the amount of rainfall was around 17.7in within 24 hours. This is equivalent to nearly four months of rainfall at this time of year. Obviously, the residents had to bear the consequences of nature’s fury.

Floods devastate parts of France and Italy

The worst hit areas were in the Southern Alps region.

Some villages were isolated because the roads were inaccessible. The BBC adds that people had to bear heavy losses. The fate of a couple of elderly people is uncertain. Their house collapsed and there are fears about the worst. The authorities do not rule out possibilities of them being swept away in the floodwaters. Storm Alex also affected the western Atlantic coast of France with wind speeds of around 112mph and power loss in innumerable homes.

Breakdown of electrical power lines is not unusual during such climatic disturbances because floods accompanied by landslides are common in hilly terrains.

Italy is not spared from floods

There are two fatalities reported from Italy. One of them was of a firefighter who lost his life during a rescue operation. The other was of a man who was swept into a river in his car in the Piedmont region.

The BBC goes on to add that a section of an important bridge collapsed. The bridge had reopened recently. Many villages in the region remained isolated with road communication disturbed. Officials describe the situation as "extremely critical." It seems the amount of rainfall in Piedmont was "unheard of since 1954." That is what President Alberto Cirio told La Stampa a news outlet. The authorities have deployed aid workers to assist in rescue efforts in locations that are cut-off. A flood barrier system protected the city of Venice. In November 2018, floods in the city had forced tourists to wade in knee-deep waters.

France launches search operations after the floods

According to Sky News, France mobilized teams of firefighters, military helicopters, and troops to search for persons reported missing after the floods.

Seven bodies were recovered on the French-Italian border near Nice. It is a mountainous region and torrential rains swept away not only houses but also roads. There were reports of loss of power and provisions of Renewable Energy might have helped. Floods devastated areas surrounding the city of Nice on the French Riviera. Christian Estrosi, mayor of Nice, indicated loss of more than 100 homes that suffered severe damages. French Prime Minister Jean Castex, surveyed the region in a helicopter and expressed concerns over the toll of the flooding. In February this year, floods in New Zealand left hundreds of tourists stranded. Earlier, in August 2018, floods in the East Coast led to evacuation of residents and closure of roads.
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