France was today struggling to cope with its most violent storm for 10 years, as winds of more than 100mph swept through the country, killing at least 40 people and leaving 1m homes without power. Central and western France were worst hit with gales and torrential rain felling trees and causing flooding. At least seven people drowned in villages in the Vendée, while three elderly people and a child were found dead in Charente Maritime around La Rochelle. A man was killed by a falling tree branch in the south-western town of Luchon, where winds reached 90mph. As well as the known casualties, at least five other people were reported missing and dozens others injured. As the storm, known as Xynthia, progressed northwards through France over the weekend, five of the country's 95 departments were placed on red alert for only the second time in the emergency system's history. By this afternoon the alert had been downgraded.
Fatal storm sweeps through France | World news | guardian.co.uk
A news report from the event can be seen here:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8541958.stm
The damage was particularly bad because of a storm surge which broke through inadequate defences:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8544002.stm
There is more about storm surges here:
http://dlgb.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/the-november-2007-storm-surge/
and about the devastating 1953 storm surge here:
http://dlgb.wordpress.com/2007/11/29/the-1953-storm-surge-what-really-happened/
The storms are part of a series of strong winter storms which have affected western Europe:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8540762.stm
Amongst the worst was the one which caused severe damage on the island of Madeira:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8526288.stm
