NEWS AND NOTES
Blue Water Sailing
MARCH 3, 2010
Les Sables d'Olonne and Other French Marinas Devastated by Storm
Xynthia, the storm that roared out of the Atlantic over the weekend and battered the coast of Western Europe from Portugal north to the Netherlands, had a confirmed death toll of 62 as of Monday morning.
At least 51 of the deaths were in France, the country hit hardest by the storm, which flooded coastal areas with 25-foot-high waves and 100-mile-per-hour winds in coastal regions.
Damaged boat are pictured on February 28, 2010 in port des minimes of La Rochelle/From news.in.msn.com.
The storm also cut power to roughly 1 million French homes. The national electricity utility said that all power should be restored by Wednesday.
Xynthia led to storm surges in coastal towns that saw floodwaters rise to the second story of buildings and smash sea walls – some dating back to the 19th century, according to the French press. While France was hit the hardest, casualties were also reported from Spain, Belgium, England, and Germany. From: CSMonitor.com and YachtingMonthly.com.
Boat holed / http://lci.tf1.fr/france
In Les Sables d'Olonne, locals reported massive damage to the docks, some of which have been pushed ashore by massive surges. Yacht have been sunk, dismasted, ended up on land or were impaled.
In La Rochelle there was similar damage - trees were uprooted and 30ft high waves surged inland as the storm swept eastwards across the country. Wind speeds of 100 mph were recorded.
Damaged boats in La Rochelle/ news.in.msn.com
The storm originated in the Iberian peninsula on Saturday before sweeping north and east across the continent.
A resident looks at damaged sailing boats in La Rochelle after severe storms
swept through much of France /ChristianScienceMonitor.com
