Floods of record rain in a mountainous area France Italy killed two people in Italy and left at least 24 missing in the two countries.
A storm moved overnight across southeastern France and then north Italy Floods on both sides of the border, destroying bridges, cutting roads and isolating communities.
In the Val d’Aosta region of northern Italy, a fireman was killed during a rescue operation. In the province of Vercelli, a dead body was found near a place swept away by flood waters late on Friday.
16 people have been reported missing in Italy, all but one of them traveling in cars on the Col de Tende high mountain pass between France and Italy, according to civil protection authorities.
They included two adults from Germany driving with their 11-year-old and six-year-old grandchildren, and a couple of siblings returning from France.
A spokesman for Italian firefighters said a search is underway for a missing shepherd who was pulled into the flood waters of Cole de Tende.
The spokesman, Luca Curry, said he suspected other people who were reported missing in Italy had lost the phone, and were not at present believed to be in imminent danger.
Carey said the situation on the High Mountain Pass was complicated by the fact that French emergency responders were unable to reach their side of the tunnel due to the damage from the floods. Italian firefighters are looking on the French side for people whose path may have been blocked.
In the Piedmont region of northern Italy, overnight precipitation was at levels not recorded since 1958. Up to 630 millimeters (24.8 in) of rain fell in a 24-hour period, according to the Italian Civil Protection Agency.
Hundreds of rescue operations were underway. Eleven camps were rescued in Vercelli County, where floodwaters reached their highest level in 20 years. Alpine rescue teams have come to help seven people in flooded homes in Terme di Valdery.
In southeast France, average rainfall for nearly a year decreased in less than 12 hours in the mountainous region around Nice.
Local firefighters said at least eight people were missing, including two firefighters who took their vehicle through the water when the road collapsed during a rescue operation.
The mayor of Nice, Christian Estrozzi, expressed his “affection and sympathy” for the families. He said more than 100 homes were destroyed or severely damaged. Firefighters said dozens of people were evacuated from their homes overnight.
French President Emmanuel Macron expressed his gratitude to the rescuers. “Together we will get over this,” he said.
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