For the second day, floods have reeked havoc as European rivers overflow from the Paris region down to Bavaria in southern Germany. So far, six people have died and thousands have been trapped in buildings and cars. Businesses, transportation, and public services along the flood zone have all been forced to shut-down.
In France, emergency workers continue to evacuate the residents of Nemours, 50 miles south of Paris. French President Francois Hollande has plans to formally declare a “natural disaster” for Nemours, and other hard hit areas, in next week’s cabinet meeting. This procedure allows residents to receive financial help from the government and insurance companies much more quickly.
Hollande also stated there would be emergency funding for villages and small towns to assist in repairing residential damage caused by the floods.
As the Seine river rises to dangerous levels, Paris police have raised the flood warning there to “orange,” the second highest level signifying floods will likely have “a significant impact” on buildings and people.
The Louvre museum in Paris will shut down Friday to pre-emptively move artworks from lower levels threatened by the rising waters.
Story compiled with information from the Associated Press