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Floods leave damage across southern France

The Local France
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Floods leave damage across southern France
Residents begin the clean up after the weekend's floods in southern France. Photo: Pascal Guyot/AFP

Torrential downpours wreaked havoc in southern France over the weekend, destroying roads and washing away cars.

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The violent thunderstorms in the Herault département of southern France hit on Saturday night, prompting the La Lergue river to break its banks.
 
 
Emergency services were called to 172 incidents over the night and day, as the storms left a trail of damage in its wake.

One couple in their eighties was rescued from their car after it washed away, reported Le Parisien
 
 
A section of the A75 motorway fell away, see below, leaving a gaping hole measuring 8 by ten metres. Traffic was closed in both directions. 

Local authorities estimated that the damage on the road alone could take weeks to fix.

Pont-Saint-Esprit, in the Gard département, 208 millimetres of rain alone, with nearby Montelimar recording 154 millimetres.

The weather was back to normal by Sunday afternoon, with locals now facing the mammoth task of restoring order to their southern French towns.


(Photo: Google Maps)

All photos: Pascal Guyot/AFP

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