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PARIS. — President Francois Hollande has declared a “natural disaster” in Paris after the River Seine burst its banks and swept through the French capital. Some 21 n700 homes were left without power in the Paris and Loiret regions on Thursday and the world-famous Louvre art gallery announced it would be closed yesterday so its staff could evacuate art, France 24 reported.
Hollande declared a state of emergency in some areas on Thursday to free up emergency funds, Reuters reported. According to the Le Monde daily, the waters are expected to peak at a level of almost six metres yesterday.
In Nemours, south of the city, where Prime Minister Manuel Valls visited on Thursday, the water rose higher than it did during an historic flood in 1910, considered the worst of modern times.
At least 3 000 out of 13 000 inhabitants were evacuated from the town. Overall, however, the flood is not expected to top the 6,18 meter water levels seen during flooding in 1982, or the 8,62 metre average of the 1910 disaster. — France24.
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