Residents Flee Flooded Homes as Storm Herminia Batters Western France

Residents in western France were forced to evacuate their homes using boats on Monday as severe flooding submerged streets and properties in Normandy and Brittany.

Successive storms, including last week’s Storm Éowyn and the latest Storm Herminia, have caused rivers and waterways to overflow, leaving hundreds displaced and prompting urgent rescue operations.

The national weather service had issued flood and wind warnings as Storm Herminia moved in, bringing heavy rains and strong gusts after already devastating parts of Spain and the United Kingdom.

The region was already saturated from Storm Éowyn, which left two people dead due to fallen trees and caused over a million power outages in Ireland and Britain.

In Clecy, a town in northwestern France, businesses and homes were inundated as water levels rose dramatically. One restaurant owner stood in his flooded establishment on Monday, assessing the damage.

The town, like many others in the region, has been left grappling with the aftermath of the extreme weather conditions.

The hardest-hit areas include the city of Rennes, where approximately 400 people were evacuated as floodwaters surged into residential neighborhoods.

The mayor of Rennes called it the city’s worst flooding in over 40 years, warning that the situation could persist for days. Authorities have confirmed that water levels are not expected to start receding until Wednesday, prolonging the crisis for affected residents.

Beyond the inland devastation, maritime authorities reported a missing 73-year-old British sailor off the Atlantic coast near Bordeaux. A search operation has been launched, but rough sea conditions have made rescue efforts difficult.

France’s weather service has warned of continued flood risks and strong winds for Tuesday, particularly along the western coastline, from Brittany down to the Spanish border. Emergency response teams remain on high alert as further rainfall is expected to exacerbate the situation.

The back-to-back storms have raised concerns over the increasing frequency of extreme weather events in the region, with climate experts attributing the intensity of the storms to shifting atmospheric patterns.

Local officials are urging residents in vulnerable areas to remain cautious and follow evacuation orders if necessary.

With recovery efforts still underway from Storm Éowyn, the arrival of Storm Herminia has only compounded the challenges faced by emergency responders and residents alike.

As France braces for more turbulent weather, the focus remains on ensuring safety and minimizing further damage in the flood-stricken regions.

 

This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members