Two people reported missing in floods in south-east France
The departments of Drôme and Vaucluse are on orange alert for flooding today (October 30)
Two people are missing after heavy rainfall caused the Aygues river to rise to 2.33m (photo for illustration only)
Diane Edorh/Shutterstock, Météo-France
A man and a woman have been reported missing after heavy rain caused the flooding of the Aygues river (Drôme) in south-east France.
The missing couple contacted the emergency services at around 01:00 on October 30 as the river rose to 1.78m. Their vehicle had got stuck in the sand along the riverbank in the town of Nyons, and was found empty the following morning, reported regional media Dauphiné Libéré.
The Drôme Prefecture is currently leading a search and rescue mission.
“Significant resources are being deployed: police, firefighters, divers, drones, and the ‘Dragon’ helicopter. For your safety and to avoid hindering the search, do not approach the banks of the Aygues river,” reads a social media alert posted by the prefecture.
The prefecture said that between 70 and 80 mm of rain was recorded in the Nyons area last night.
“The sudden and localised intensity of the (rainfall which accumulated in two hours) that caused the Aygues river to rise, with a peak at 2.33m at 03:50,” reads a press release.
The river remains under surveillance despite water levels declining below flood alert thresholds (1.10m recorded at midday today).
Orange alert for flooding
Two departments in south-east France, the Drôme and Vaucluse, have been placed on orange alert for flooding on October 30 and 31, announced the 08:00 bulletin published by state forecaster, Météo-France.
The weather service confirms that heavy rainfall could cause “significant flooding on the Aygues river.”
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