France’s firefighters raced to save residents today after homes became soaked in 3 weeks worth of water in 12 hours.
Heavy rains lashed a large swath of southwest France and northern Spain overnight, leading to evacuations of dozens of residents and rivers overflowing their banks. In Spain, one person was killed.
The flooding could continue for days due to warm southern winds, which have melting snowbanks at the Pyrenees Mountains in recent days.
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Pictured in Bayonne (southwestern France), where cars were submerged under water on streets flooded by floodwaters December 10, 2021. After heavy rainfalls in southwest France overnight caused flooding that led to the evacuation of many residents as well as rivers overflowing their banks.
Pictured: Pedestrians look on flooded streets of Bayonne, southwestern France, on December 10, 2021
The Cathedral-Basilica of Our Lady of the Pillar, Zaragoza (Spain), December 10, 2021, is surrounded by the Ebro River. Due to heavy rainfalls in the area, warnings were issued about the potential for an overflow.
Several regions have an ‘orange’ warning in place until at least Sunday, with local media reporting that one region – Pyrénées-Atlantiques – saw almost five inches of rain at 4am in Friday.
After meeting with officials from the local area, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin stated that despite one injury, there have been no deaths or serious injuries. Firefighters responded to over 250 calls within an hour.
Meteo France’s weather agency warned that there were high risks of avalanches in Pyrenees. This area is located between France and Spain. There was also local flooding.
Flooding could last for many days due to southern winds that warm the Pyrenees mountain snowbanks. Pictured: A man walks in flooded streets of Bayonne, southwestern France on Friday
Restaurant workers look out over the flooded streets in Bayonne, France on December 10, 2021
The photograph was taken in Bayonne (southwestern France) on 10/12/2021.
Pictured: Cars are submerged in Bayonne, southwestern France following heavy rain and flooding
According to the Navarre regional government, a Spanish woman was killed in her vehicle in Friday’s landslide. This happened after two weeks of heavy rains.
Photos from Zaragoza in Spain showed the banks the river Ebro that flows through its centre, past a cathedral and close to burst.
According to Euro Weekly News, a man in Spain was killed in the town of Sunbilla when the roof of a shed collapsed on to the top of his vehicle.
Eric Spitze, French Government’s Top Official for Aquitaine Region that Includes Bordeaux said the situation was under control but that forecasts of additional rain could cause floodwaters to rise in many towns and cities.
Bayonne was a coastal city and loudspeakers were used to warn people who had gathered by the Nive River banks in order to photograph the torrents.
An area flooded in Pamplona after heavy rainfalls on December 10, 2021. Following heavy rains, Friday’s early morning rainfall has caused the Arga River to overflow.
A floodwater-covered traffic sign on a road near Pamplona in northern Spain. Friday, December 10, 2010.
An area of flood in Behobia after heavy rains caused by the Bidasoa River overflowing, Irun, Spain. December 10, 2021
To inspect the flooded streets of Pamplona where River Arga overflowed due to heavy rainfalls, firefighters used a dinghy in Pamplona (Spain, Spain), December 10, 2021
A Friday night match between Aviron Bayonnais & US Montauban was cancelled by authorities in Bayonne. Mayor Jean-Rene Etchegaray also asked businesses to shut down along the Nive.
Classes were cancelled at many schools, and roads were shut down. Train services were also disrupted. Electricity cuts were reported at numerous homes in the area.
Further inland, the flood caused a landslide near the Pyrenees village Itxassou. A 37-year old resident named Jean-Claude said that 16 inches of water had flooded his home – his second in seven year.
He said that in 2014 they claimed it was once-in a century flooding and it’s now occurring again.