Waves hit the shore in Nice on October 2, 2020 as storm Alex reaches the French riviera's coasts.
© AFPWaves hit the shore in Nice on October 2, 2020 as storm Alex reaches the French riviera's coasts.
Two people were confirmed to have died and several others missing on Saturday after torrential rain brought by Storm Alex caused devastating flooding along the French Riviera coast and inland areas. Bridges collapsed and roads were left submerged as rivers broke their banks.

The Alpes-Maritimes département was subject to a red weather warning - the highest alert level - as persistent downpours saw up to 350mmm of rain fall in local areas.

On Saturday morning as the rains eased the red level warning was lifted but the impact of the deluge was still present.

Authorities reported at least 12 people were missing including two fire fighters.




"Currently we have nine people reported missing and three people suspected to be missing," firefighters told AFP on Saturday morning.


However later on Saturday the mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi said that two bodies had been found and identified.

"I am extremely worried about those we are still searching for," said Estrosi adding that officials were just beginning to survey the damage and the many roads would remain closed.

Hundreds of rescue missions had taken place throughout the night and early hours of Saturday but rescue efforts were being hampered by the flood waters which had blocked many roads in the area.

"Firefighters are not able to access everywhere because of the number of roads that are cut. There are villages and neighbourhoods totally cut off," fire service chief Alain Degioanni told BFM TV.

On Friday evening thousands of homes in the coastal département were left without power. Both the fire service and local authorities urged residents to stay home. Two people were reported missing.

A road bridge was destroyed as muddy waters churned through a valley near Saint-Martin-Vesubie, north of Nice near the Italian border, Eric Ciotti, an MP for the Alpes-Maritimes region, told AFP.

"The service station was washed away, houses were severely damaged, and the stadium and the cemetery have been flooded" after some 235 millimetres (9 inches) of rain was dumped in just a few hours, Ciotti said.

The Var river was also subject to a red warning for floods as water levels rose to record levels, according to some reports.




Beaches in Nice and other coastal cities were closed, and authorities asked people to stay at home and refrain from using their cars unless in case of emergency.



The mayor of Nice Christian Estrosi announced that the city's airport was also closed on Friday and told residents to return home. "The worst is yet to come," he said with the peak of the storm forecast to be Friday evening.

Roads were left submerged by the rising waters as this image near the town of Carros shows.