Thousands evacuated as France declares emergency over floods

Torrential rains across France forced thousands of people from their homes and saw stranded motorists rescued by soldiers as flood waters rose, while in Paris a metro line was shut and staff at the Louvre museum were told the venue was likely to close.

An 86-year old woman was found dead in her flooded house in a small town southwest of Paris late on Wednesday, apparently the first casualty from the heavy rains that caused the Loire and Seine rivers to burst their banks.

Floods pummel France and Germany, killing four; Seine overflows its banks in Paris

President Francois Hollande declared a state of emergency in the worst affected areas and promised money to help local authorities deal with the flood damage.

“Since yesterday it’s just been a deluge,” said Jerome Coiffier, an resident of Longjumeau, less than 20km south of Paris, where firemen wading thigh-deep in water rescued inhabitants using inflatable boats.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls visited Nemours, 75km south of Paris, where at least 3,000 out of 13,000 inhabitants were evacuated, as flood water crept towards the second story of buildings in the town centre. He called the situation “tense”.