At least three individuals have perished in catastrophic floods triggered by relentless storms and heavy rainfall affecting southern France since Monday. Among the victims were an elderly couple whose bodies were extracted from the seaside resort of Le Lavandou, and another individual who tragically drowned in a vehicle in Vidauban, local officials confirmed.
The torrential rains have resulted in significant destruction, resulting in street flooding and widespread power and water outages. Rail services have also been disrupted, with at least two regional trains halting operations due to damage to the tracks. The elderly couple that lost their lives attempted to evacuate their home but were overtaken by quickly rising waters, as reported by the Toulon public prosecutor.
"We are astonished by the extent of the disaster that hit the Cavalière district this morning," stated officials in Le Lavandou, which recorded an overwhelming 256mm of rainfall within just one hour. Situated approximately 30 kilometers (18 miles) east of St. Tropez, Le Lavandou is a popular tourist destination along the French Riviera. The local mayor, Gil Bernardi, described the event as "a truly violent, nasty, incomprehensible phenomenon," highlighting the destruction of roads and bridges in the area.
As of Tuesday, Le Lavandou is still grappling with significant electricity and water outages, with access hindered due to ongoing flooding on the main road. Further north in Vidauban, it was reported that one victim died after their vehicle was trapped in a flooded area and fell into a ditch. Despite a passer-by's efforts to rescue them, only the driver was saved, according to local mayor Claude Pianetti.
Over the past 24 hours, emergency services in the Var region have received more than 500 distress calls, prompting the deployment of hundreds of emergency responders from surrounding areas, including Cannes. Although the initial emergency warnings for thunderstorms and flooding on Tuesday were later downgraded, more than 600 homes continue to lack electricity. The flooding disaster coincided with severe rain and hailstorms across southwestern France, affecting train services on the Bordeaux-Toulouse line with cancellations expected for several days.
