The key facts

  • A man aged 60 has been found dead after his car was swept away by a river in Ghisonaccia on Corsica; his female companion escaped.
  • 612 mm of rain fell at the Solenzara air base in 24 hours — roughly five times the October norm.
  • Another person was found dead in Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts (Bouches-du-Rhône); the circumstances are being investigated.

Rescued woman and recovered body

A man aged around 60 who went missing after floodwaters swept away his car was found dead on Tuesday evening. The television channel BFMTV reported this on Wednesday, citing the prefecture. According to the channel, the man was travelling with a woman when their car was swept away by a river in Ghisonaccia on Corsica. The woman managed to get out, while the man was listed as missing until his body was found.

Extreme rainfall

The death occurred against the backdrop of a powerful Mediterranean storm that brought torrential rain to south-eastern France; Corsica was hit especially hard. According to BFMTV, the weather station at the Solenzara air base recorded 612 mm (24.1 inches) of precipitation in 24 hours — roughly five times the average monthly October norm for the area.

Rescue operations

Dozens of cars were caught in floodwaters, and rescuers had to evacuate some of the motorists. Others were given overnight accommodation, as flooded roads became impassable.

Second fatality and end of the severe weather

Separately, firefighters on Tuesday found another person dead in Saint-Mitre-les-Remparts in the Bouches-du-Rhône department after a large-scale search operation involving a helicopter. According to the firefighters, the circumstances of this death remain under investigation. According to BFMTV, the episode of severe weather has ended: no department in France is any longer under the orange level of weather alert.