RSOE EDIS - Situation Update No. 5 : France - Complex Emergency

RSOE Emergency and Disaster Information Service Budapest, Hungary RSOE EDIS ALERTMAIL

Situation Update No. 5 Posted:2010-02-28, 12:12:38 [UTC] Ref.no.: CE-20100228-25153-FRA Situation Update No. 5 On 2010-03-01 at 10:59:00 [UTC] Event: Complex Emergency Location: France Multiple areas Northern and North-western areas Number of Deads: 47 person(s) Situation: A storm along France’s southwest coast killed at least 47 people this weekend as rain and high winds lashed the regions of Vendee and Charente-Maritime, according to the government. Storm Xynthia brought “ocean waves of unheard-of magnitude,” causing widespread flooding, President Nicolas Sarkozy said yesterday in a statement. Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux will visit the affected areas today to assess the damage, according to a statement on the ministry’s Web site. Small businesses affected by the storm will receive government aid to help with repairs and indemnify against losses, Commerce State Secretary Herve Novelli said today in a separate statement. Finance Minister Christine Lagarde has already contacted insurers to arrange reimbursements, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office. An estimated 820,000 homes are without electricity, Prime Minister Francois Fillon said, adding that it may take “several days” to restore power to everyone. Please DO NOT reply to this message: replies may be treated as errors and result in your subscription being deleted. If you have trouble or other queries, send email to havaria@rsoe.hu RSOE EDIS is operated by the National Association of Radio-Distress Signalling and Infocommunications (RSOE), Budapest, Hungary. Because of the complexity of this system and its dependence on other systems, we cannot be responsible for delays or failures in forwarding or transmission. You're receiving this AlertMail because you subscribed for the service. To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. Contact: havaria@rsoe.hu