Corsica storm deaths and flooding in Porto-Vecchio, Digi Mart USA News (Corsica, France): Heavy storms have struck the far south of Corsica since Wednesday, November 4. Two people died overnight, according to a report from France 3 Régions.
On Friday morning, the rain was easing and watercourses had begun to recede, but an orange weather alert remained in effect until noon, according to a statement from the Prefecture of Corse-du-Sud. Up to 300 millimeters of rain fell between Thursday and Friday in the Porto-Vecchio and Conca area, and between 70 and 100 millimeters fell overnight near Bonifacio.
A crisis cell met Friday morning in the presence of Prefect of Corsica Eric Jalon and Porto-Vecchio Mayor Jean-Christophe Angelini. The prefect was scheduled to travel to the affected areas to take part in an aerial assessment of the damage.
After another night of severe weather, two people from Porto-Vecchio were found dead, trapped in their vehicle on the RT10 road. A third occupant of the vehicle was rescued by firefighters and taken to the Ospedale clinic.
Speaking to France 3 Corse ViaStella, Mayor Angelini described the events as a terrible tragedy affecting residents of the town. He said that in the hamlet of Muratello, more than 2,000 people remain cut off because access bridges were swept away.
According to the Prefecture, rescue crews carried out 43 operations and secured 32 people in Pianotolli-Caldarello, Bonifacio, Lecci and Porto-Vecchio. Eighty people were housed at the Cosec in Porto-Vecchio.
The mayor has asked residents to strictly limit their travel. All events scheduled in the town from November 6 to 8 inclusive have been canceled.
Many roads damaged by the storms are closed, including the northern entrance to Porto-Vecchio, where the RT10 remains flooded and closed to traffic. Route information is available on the Info route website.
The town announced on Thursday that all schools, colleges, the lycée and the municipal nursery would close for safety reasons until Monday. The Prefecture also reported difficulties in supplying drinking water.
