Man swept away by river as Europe grapples with major flooding
Locals are now moving by boat as the river has submerged streets and flooded numerous houses
A man has been swept away by the swollen River Loire as much of western France was placed under high alert for floods, with further heavy rain expected.
Four départements remain under red alert – the highest level – with nine more under orange alert, indicating major to significant flooding is occurring or expected within the next 24 hours.
Officials confirmed on Wednesday that a 53-year-old man reportedly fell from a small boat or kayak south of the city of Angers, BFM TV said.
Search operations were underway, but senior official Francois Pesneau told BFM TV and other local media that considering the Loire's flow and speed after such heavy rains, "there is objectively little chance of finding that person".
In the nearby town of Denee, residents are now moving by boat as the river has submerged streets and flooded numerous houses.
"There's no access anymore (to Denee), the roads are not functional due to the floods. And so the only way to come to the village is by boat," municipal worker Jason Garnier said on Tuesday.
"People who want to go to work, well, they leave by boat in the morning, and they go home in the evening by boat."
French Environment Minister Monique Barbut said the level of humidity in soils in France was unseen since 1959, after more than 30 days of bad weather.
Weeks of steady rain have saturated soils, making even modest showers a significant threat. Flood risk information service Vigicrues reports a record 81 departments under simultaneous alerts.
According to local media, at least two people have died, and 850,000 homes lost power before Enedis crews intervened. Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne remain on maximum vigilance, with river levels at La Réole and Cadillac breaking records.
On 14 February, an embankment breach at Sainte-Croix-du-Mont sent floodwater through Peyrat, blocking roads and forcing dozens to flee. Transport is disrupted around Bordeaux, and the Seine continues to climb in Paris.
Fresh rainfall in the south could reverse falling water levels, raising fears of further damage towards Agen.
Spain, Portugal and UK are among other European countries badly hit by flooding this year due to unusually heavy rain.
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