SAINTES – Southwestern France was hit by heavy flooding on Monday after days of torrential rain. Several regions including eastern Paris were on flood alert.
The worst flooding was in Saintes, 115 km north of Bordeaux, where Charente River stood at a near-record level of 6.20 meters. The waters were at waist level in several streets and knee-deep in large parts of the town.
Hundreds of people were evacuated as water seeped into cellars that knocked out power supplies. Local authorities laid beams on cinder blocks so residents could walk from flooded houses to dry land.(Reuters)
