Two people have been killed and 24 are missing after a horrendous storm struck France and Italy. The epicentre of the storm, known as 'Storm Alex', was in South-Eastern France and Northern Italy and has destroyed bridges, homes and power infrastructure. In Italy's Piedmont region, rains have been the heaviest recorded since 1958, and in France, as much as 500mm of rain fell in just 24 hours. In the Nice area, an entire year's average rainfall fell in just 12 hours.
Both deaths are said to have occurred in Italy but there are fears that many have been swept away in their cars by floodwaters.
Of the 24 missing, 16 are thought to be in the Col de Tende high mountain pass between France and Italy. This includes a 6-year-old and an 11-year-old who were travelling by car with their grandparents. An ongoing issue with the mountain pass is that large scale flooding in the wider region has meant emergency services and search crews have had extreme difficulty in even accessing the site. Helicopters have been brought in to advance the search.
Although rains and winds are now weakening, tides are still rising due to water making its way from the hills, and a huge rise in water levels and floods are expected, leading to further disruption. All areas in the region have been put on high alert.
In Saint-Martin-Vésubie in France, houses were washed away and the dramatic scene of a bridge collapsing was caught on video.
A firefighter in Italy was killed while on service saving those in need. On a Facebook post, the local fire service paid tribute to him saying:
"Our hearts go out to the families of those missing and especially to our two fellow firefighters."
#TempeteAlex // 850 pompiers dont 348 en renfort extérieur seront aujourd'hui mobilisés sur l'ensemble du département...
Posted by Sapeurs-pompiers 06 - SDIS 06 on Friday, 2 October 2020
The local fire service went on to say that 850 firefighters had now been mobilised in the area to help victims.
Many are already blaming global warming for the freak weather and state that such incidents can only be expected to become more frequent as the climate continues to increase in temperature.
COMMENTS