A deluge of rain on Saturday evening caused the flooding of the small coastal river Brague and submerged the streets of Cannes, Antibes, Mandelieu-la-Napoule, Villeneuve-Loubet, and Nice. The western part of the department was particularly hit, with Cannes as the epicenter.
Météo France’s readings are impressive: between 7 PM and 10 PM, 180 mm of water fell in Cannes, 159 mm in Mandelieu-la-Napoule, and 100 mm in Valbonne (near Biot).
The (provisional) human toll is heavy: 17 dead and four missing.
“The state will do its part, starting Wednesday at the Council of Ministers, by recognizing the state of natural disaster,” declared the President of the Republic, who visited the scene accompanied by the Minister of the Interior Bernard Cazeneuve, Prefect Adolphe Colrat, and local officials.
The Ministry of the Interior praised the rescue teams who, “throughout the evening and late into the night,” carried out 241 interventions and 23 helicopter rescues.
