One dead after violent storm, mudslide and flooding in Savoie and Italy

Powerful storms in eastern France have led to record flooding, mudslides, and major disruptions to transportation in the area. On the Italian side of the Alps, a 70-year-old man died after being caught in a mudslide in Bardonecchia, close to Turin. 

Alpine areas of both France and Italy were hit by heavy flooding as more than a month’s worth of rain fell in parts of the Savoie department in a few hours, leading to mudslides that swept away vehicles. 

Local authorities called the flooding “the worst in seventy years”, as water and mudslides reached up to 50cm. 

In Modane (Savoie) and nearby Fourneaux, 15 people were placed in emergency accommodation due to the flooding and mudslides.

In the latter, around 50 basements were flooded, as well as the local school. No serious injuries were recorded in the commune.

Mudslides on the Italian side of the border along the river Frejus were particularly violent. 

France’s Alpine departments remain on a tier-two yellow alert for storms today, with the majority also facing heightened heatwave warnings.

Roads and rail disrupted 

The brutal flooding cut several local roads in the Savoie department, as well as the N94 in the Hautes-Alpes, with several smaller mountain roads still closed today. 

This includes the RD 215, RD 1006, and RD 927 in Savoie.

The flooding has also impacted rail travel on the high-speed line between Paris and Milan, which runs through the affected valley. 

The service has been postponed ‘until further notice’ and is expected to be shut for several days.

Cleanup operations are underway, with French authorities hopeful that no sustained damage has occurred. 

The route was only recently reopened after being closed for 19 months due to a major rockslide in the Maurienne valley.