Flash Floods In Germany, Austria And France Cause Deaths; More Rain Expected

At least four people died and a dozen injured Wednesday after heavy rains caused flash floods in France, Austria and Germany. Meteorologists warn that more rain is expected for several days.

The body of an 86-year-old woman was found in a flooded house in central France, the Guardian reported. Three people trapped in a house in southern Germany were found dead, local authorities said.

More rain is to follow with the possibility of hailstones and flash flooding. A large low pressure area has formed over the region and is showing no signs of shifting in the next few days, the BBC reported.

Many promenades were closed in Paris due to the swelling of the Seine River. Local authorities say that fire services have attended over 10,000 calls from across France since Sunday when the rains began. The Loiret region in central France received in three days its average rainfall of six weeks. Weather forecaster Meteo France reportedly called the floods “exceptional, worse than the floods of 1910.”

The BBC reported that 250 people were rescued from a school in Triftern, Germany, where they were trapped for a night. The German meteorological office said that on Wednesday, the nearby area of Pfarrkirchen received 35 liters of water per square meter in just six hours.

A disaster center has been established in the district of Rottal Inn, which is one of the worst affected places in southern Germany.

Due to the floods, roads were cut off, schools shut and rivers burst. A street in the town of Montargis, south of Paris, turned into a canal as the water level rose steadily.

France’s Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that over 8,000 rescue operations were carried out in a span of two days, the BBC reported. This is the worst flooding central France has seen in 100 years, the report said.