Floods hit southwest France

Violent storms, high winds and floods hit southwest France this weekend, leaving one person dead, another one missing and five injured.

Gale-force winds left as many as 40,000 homes without power on Saturday afternoon and some 25,000 remained so from Normandy down to the southwest by early evening, electricity utility operator Enedis told AFP.

The hardest hit region was Peyrehorade, Landes, where emergency rescuers were deployed to evacuate residents and animals.

About 600 people were evacuated as a preventive measure in areas where the Gaves de Pau and Oloron rivers converge, AFP reported.

The region remains on alert for violent storms, high winds and floods.

(AFP)