Europe storm death toll at 59; France hardest hit

shqipshume

PARIS — French President Nicolas Sarkozy pledged euro3 million ($4 million) in emergency aid Monday after hurricane-force winds triggered extensive floods that killed at least 59 people in western Europe. Nearly a dozen others were still missing.
The storm, called Xynthia, blew into France early Sunday, flooding ports, destroying homes and leaving 1 million households without electricity. It also battered Belgium, Portugal, Spain and parts of Germany.
The spokesman of France's emergency services, Lt. Col. Patrick Vailli, said nine people were still missing and scores more were wounded.
The storm also caused six deaths in Germany — including a 2-year-old boy who drowned after he was blown into a river. Three people were dead in Spain, and Belgium and Portugal had one fatality each.

The storm also snarled train and air travel throughout the continent, with major delays on France's railways and continued cancellations Monday at Frankfurt airport — one of Europe's most important hubs.

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seamus

Couldn't believe this when I saw it. And here we are sitting in glorious calm sunshine.

Makes a change I suppose.

enda1

Here in Belgium the weather wasn't that bad.
It was a bit windy but no more than you'd get on you normal windy night in Ireland. Must have been much worse in some places for that many deaths though!

Mal-Adjusted

good enough for 'em...feckin' cheats!

shqipshume

The pictures tell the story very sad.Crazy weather.Snow falling now floods

DenMan

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

good enough for 'em...feckin' cheats!

That's uncalled for.

Very sad news that's for sure.

Danbo!

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

good enough for 'em...feckin' cheats!

I suppose thats what they get for cheating in a game of football. :rolleyes:

recylingbin

Only in Ireland could a bit of bad weather have a devastating toll :rolleyes:

Mal-Adjusted

DenMan wrote: »

That's uncalled for.

Very sad news that's for sure.

oh come on, it wasnt that bad!
this is still after hours, isn't it?

being serious for a second, it IS quite sad

ejmaztec

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

.

IvyTheTerrible

It's very sad. A combination of very high winds and a very high tide.

I flew from Paris on Saturday evening and the turbulence was terrible. The wind was very very strong.

shqipshume

enda1 wrote: »

Here in Belgium the weather wasn't that bad.
It was a bit windy but no more than you'd get on you normal windy night in Ireland. Must have been much worse in some places for that many deaths though!

Didnt you have very bad snow ?

shqipshume

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

It's very sad. A combination of very high winds and a very high tide.

I flew from Paris on Saturday evening and the turbulence was terrible. The wind was very very strong.

Lucky to be away from it.

enda1

shqipshume wrote: »

Didnt you have very bad snow ?

A couple of weeks ago there was some snow yeah but not Yesterday!
Yesterday it was a bit blustery but really not too bad (in Brussels anyway).

shqipshume

enda1 wrote: »

A couple of weeks ago there was some snow yeah but not Yesterday!
Yesterday it was a bit blustery but really not too bad (in Brussels anyway).

Some snow? I thought snowed in there few weeks back?

pickarooney

There wasn't enough wind to fly a kite yesterday and it's 17 degrees today. No fun down here.

Imhof Tank

IvyTheTerrible wrote: »

It's very sad. A combination of very high winds and a very high tide.

I flew from Paris on Saturday evening and the turbulence was terrible. The wind was very very strong.

Was walking around Paris on Saturday night and it didnt seem that extreme to me- like typical dirty Irish December weather, like for example I have seen matches played in far worse conditions.

Then in the middle of the night the shutters outside our room window blew open with an almighty bang and woke us up. The very worst of the wind in the Paris area must have been after 2/3 am??

Flight on Sunday was grand thank God, but no direct trains to CDG running

Mal-Adjusted

ejmaztec wrote: »

IvyTheTerrible

Imhof Tank wrote: »

Was walking around Paris on Saturday night and it didnt seem that extreme to me- like typical dirty Irish December weather, like for example I have seen matches played in far worse conditions.

Then in the middle of the night the shutters outside our room window blew open with an almighty bang and woke us up. The very worst of the wind in the Paris area must have been after 2/3 am??

Flight on Sunday was grand thank God, but no direct trains to CDG running

There was no turbulence around paris when my flight left (around 6.30 in the evening) but by the time we were half-way down France it was very bad (around 7.15). Even the air hostesses looked stressed.