French village swamped by floodwaters from the Seine

(28 Jan 2018) More than 200 French towns are struggling against floodwaters that have halted boat traffic in Paris, closed roads and schools and prompted the evacuation of hospital. Swollen by weeks of heavy rains, the Seine River is expected to reach its peak in the French capital Paris late Sunday or early Monday. In the picturesque village of Villennes-sur-Seine, west of Paris, residents are using boats instead of cars. For many in Villennes this is not their first flood. The last was in June 2016, though a local councillor said the water was 30 centimetres deeper this time. Residents expressed worries about gas and electricity cuts, which have affected the heating in their houses. Meteorological authorities forecast the Seine's levels to peak in Paris late Sunday or early Monday at around 5.9 metres (19 feet, 4 inches) on the Austerlitz scale. That's below record levels, but still several metres (feet) above normal. Even after its peak, however, Paris river levels are expected to remain exceptionally high for days. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...