Can France Weather the Storms?
Wednesday 01 September 2010 A recent French parliamentary report argues that France is ill-prepared to deal with climate change and severe storms. It has been a rollercoaster year in France for weather conditions and storm damage. • In February, parts of the Vendee and Charente-Maritime were devastated following the passage of the storm Xynthia, which killed 51 people and destroyed or severely damaged around 1500 homes. • In May, another climatic disaster occurred on the Cote d’Azur, a few days before the Cannes film festival, when waves up to six metres high struck the Riveria coast, causing extensive damage but no casualties. • In June, the Draguignan area of the Var was also devastated by heavy flooding, making 283 families homeless, and causing damage to property and infrastructure estimated by the local prefet to be around €1 billion. The storms and the damage have left many commentators feeling that the country is ill prepared for the climatic changes now taking place, and that l
