Three people died in the floods - including an elderly British woman who lived in the Languedoc-Roussillon region. IN PICTURES: Southern France battered by stormsTransport was also widely disrupted with roads closed and trains halted as the flood waters rose. The declaration of an état de catastrophe naturelle (state of natural disaster) is a legal definition that means disaster relief funds can be released, and also means an easier process for people to make insurance claims for flood damage. The 186 communes concerned are in the départements of Aude, Bouches-du'Rhône, Hérault, Pyrénées-Orientales, Var and Vaucluse. READ ALSO What does a 'state of natural disaster' mean in France?

Source: The Local October 31, 2019 16:41 UTC