Clean up underway as France counts flood cost  Euronews.net 18 Jun 10 The clean up operation from the worst flooding in south-eastern France in more than 180 years is ongoing as the emergency services attempt to recreate basic living conditions for those affected by the disaster. The number of victims now stands at 25 and the authorities expect that to rise as the flood waters recede. People hit by the floods are now returning to their homes. More than 1,400 people were air-lifted to safety and 2,000 more put up in temporary accommodation, while 90,000 homes are without basic services. More than six-months of rain fell on the Var on Tuesday causing devastation on a huge scale.

The video clip on the left is from RivieraLife.tv correspondent David Rowe and shows the aftermath of the flood and clean up in Draguignan on 17 Jun 10. (Video may take a few seconds to launch.)

At Least 19 Killed In Flash Floods Near French Riviera  NPR 16 Jun 10 At least 19 people were killed in flash floods that hit the back hills of the French Riviera on Wednesday and turned streets into rivers of surging, muddy water. There was confusion about how many people were missing in the flooding that washed over picturesque towns and left them standing in yards of brown water. But probably at least 12 people were unaccounted for an official said. Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux, visiting the region, said the death toll "unfortunately, may climb." The floods swept away cars, trees and parts of houses in a downpour that devastated the picturesque region in the hills behind a portion of the Riviera, a magnet for tourists. Coastal towns where tourists flock, Frejus and Roquebrune, also were hit.

Video Nine dead as freak storms hit south-eastern France  yahoo.com 16 Jun 10 At least nine people are dead and several others missing following violent rain storms near France's Mediterranean coast. Most of the deaths occurred in or around the town of Draguignan, which was hit by flash floods. More than 350 millimetres of rain fell on the southern Var region in just a few hours, triggering more violent flooding. ITN.

French floods “cataclysmic” say locals  Euronews.net 16 Jun 10 Cars clog the streets and water is up to two metres high in some homes after an onslaught described as cataclysmic by locals. A clean up is underway in France’s flood-hit Var region but those who live there are still in shock. Some have lost everything “There is nothing left….everything has gone,” said one man. “A one and a half metre high wave devasted the shop in 10 minutes.” “I was born in Draguignan, 60 years ago. I have seen nothing like it,” another man added.