Storm Monica: seven people missing in Gard and Ardèche, ten departments still on orange alert

After a night of violent weather, between Saturday March 9 and Sunday March 10, seven people went missing in Gard and Ardèche. The vehicles were taken away. found but not their occupants, indicated the Minister of the Interior, G&rald Darmanin.

Ten departments are still on orange alert, Sunday March 10, for "floods", "avalanches" or even "waves-submersion". À Following a night of intense bad weather in the South-East of the country, seven people are missing. Six of them are currently being sought in Gard, and one victim is being sought in Ardèche. "The people's vehicles were damaged. found, but not the people at the time they were found. I'm talking to you, saidé the Minister of the Interior, Gérald Darmanin, from the Operational Center for Interministerial Crisis Management at Place Beauvau. Since Saturday evening, both departments have been closed. placed on orange flood alert by Méetéo France. "Very heavy rain affected the area. these departments this night, leading to rising water levels and unfortunately missing people, indicated the Minister of the Interior.

Nearly 250 firefighters and 4 helicopters from the gendarmerie were attacked. mobilized during the night of Saturday Sunday. On site, we are waiting for reinforcements “coming from Bouches-du-Rhône, Vaucluse and Hérault, and a helicopter coming down from Lyon& ;quot;, explainedé the secretary general of the Gard prefecture who "strongly renews the messages of caution & the entire population of Gard.

On the evening of Saturday, around 11:30 p.m., a couple and their two children aged 4 and 13 were ;té carried away by the waters in their car while they were on a Dions bridge. The mother was killed. rescued by firefighters and a helicopter flies over the area to try to find the victims. 

Since Saturday evening, around 8 p.m., an elderly man aged 62 is also increased disappeared. He was à in his vehicle when he was arrested. carried away by water on a submersible deck, à Winners. The man who was with him in his car managed to get there. escape alone, before help arrives. Around 5 a.m., two women, aged 47 and 50, contacted each other. help when they found themselves in difficulty &agrav; Goudargues, on a submersible bridge. They are still wanted on Sunday. 

8,000,000 homes without electricity

Thousands of homes have been damaged. deprived of electricity, on the night of Saturday 9 Sunday March 10, in Drôme and Ardèche. Violent gusts of wind blew; on the departments, with a point at 172 km/h on Mount Mézenc. In the Var and the Alpes-Maritimes, intense rainfall occurred overnight. He fell up to 'à 160 millimeters   Méounes, à the west of the department, according to the prefecture. a flood peak expected early in the morning. À Fr&eac;jus, 60 people were disappointed; People evacuated as a preventive measure, 30 days Hyères. À Mandelieu-la-Napoule (Alpes-Maritimes), “the campsites have beené “evacuated just like a tourist residence and the inhabitants of the ground floor of a neighborhood”, explained the mayor, Sébastien Leroy, on franceinfo, Sunday morning. "We have an injuredé light, one of the agents who responded to a falling tree,” he added.

L'Aveyron, Lozère, Ardèche, Gard, Bouches-du-Rhône, Var, l& ;#39;Yonne, Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Landes and Pyr&eac;nées-Atlantiques wereé placed on orange flood alert for Sunday. The Landes and the Pyrenees-Atlantiques are on orange wave-submersion vigilance. In the Alpes-Maritimes, the orange rain-flood vigilance has been increased. avalanches have been lifted but the department is now on avalanche alert. The Monica Depression moves towards the Bay of Biscay and “generates a rapid and disturbed flow” of the western sector over the south of the Bay of Biscay”, indicates Météo France in its latest bulletin. "These strong winds having blowné offshore have generated a strong westerly swell which propagates up to the Atlantic facade on Sunday and Monday, adds the forecasting institute. The waves are particularly strong on the south of the Aquitaine facade for high seas on Sunday afternoon."