Heavy rains flood houses and crops in northern France By ShahBlogger

By Pascal Rossignol and Clotaire Achi

SAINT-ETIENNE-AU-MONT, France (ShahBlogger) -Days of heavy rains in northern France have induced native rivers to overflow and flood homes and fields, prompting the evacuation of residents, with some having to be airlifted to security.

Greater than 100 cities are on crimson alert, and a few 200 faculties within the area have been shut. Rescue staff have additionally needed to evacuate cattle.

“It is catastrophic,” mentioned 32-year outdated farmer Gaetan Guche, whose poultry farm has been flooded, with as much as 60 centimetres of water at occasions over the previous 5 days.

Some chickens have been killed by the water, and he’s nervous concerning the others, fearing the unfold of illness amid the humidity.

“We’ve got to attend for the water to go down earlier than we are able to see the entire harm. However I’ve had losses in chickens, monetary losses when it comes to seeds and tools, and so as we speak, it is actually laborious.”

Close by, strawberry farmer Jean-Loup Mionnet, whose fields are partly submerged in water, mentioned subsequent spring’s harvest was compromised, fearing he can have few to no strawberries.

“We have by no means seen one thing like that,” mentioned campsite proprietor Jean-Marc Joyez within the village of Enquin-sur-Baillons, the place many homes are flooded and roads submerged.

Surroundings Minister Christophe Bechu mentioned dozens of cities could be thought-about in a scenario of pure catastrophe, which makes it simpler for these whose houses or companies have been flooded to learn from insurance coverage protection.