Storm Charles: Firefighters rescue two following floods in Nice

Firefighters rescued two men swept away by floodwater in Nice yesterday after Storm Charles hit the area. 

Reports of a man who had been swept away into the Paillon river near the Palais des Expositions prompted authorities to launch a search operation in the afternoon. 

At around 17:00, the divers found the missing man in the tunnels around the Paillon river, accompanied by a second person.

Both men were subsequently pulled out of the tunnels, with neither suffering from major injuries. Earlier, two other men had left the tunnels by themselves without additional support;

Firefighters carried out several operations across the south-east in relation to the storm, and as of 08:00 this morning there are no reports of any deaths or major injuries.

The storm has led to widespread disruption along the French Riviera, bringing up to 140mm of rain to some areas.

Several roads were closed due to flooding, including in town centres such as Mandelieu-la-Napoule and Fréjus, and routes eastwards from Nice due to rockfalls and high sea levels.

The storm also hit Corsica, leading to flooding across the north of the island.

Drivers should check for information on the state of local roads before setting off on journeys today. However, prefects in both the Var and Alpes-Maritimes department have not provided an official update this morning on any significant road closures.

Trains in south-east France continue to face disruption this morning, particularly routes passing through Nice. Travellers should check their journey before travelling.

Social media posts below show the extent of the rain and flooding in the area.

The storm began moving eastwards towards Italy overnight, and state forecaster Météo-France has downgraded the heightened weather alert for river flooding in Corsica down to a tier-two yellow warning (that does not require any specific action from residents). 

However, the island is still set to see some rain and strong winds today as it catches the tail end of the storm. 

On the mainland, some showers may fall along the Riviera but this rainfall is not expected to be intense.

Several departments are on a tier-two yellow alert for river flooding due to yesterday’s downpours, and caution is advised if driving or walking near a river.