Floods in southeastern France and northern Italy in the wake of Storm Alex have left 3 people dead and several missing. Hundreds of homes, along with bridges and roads, have been destroyed.
Flooding came after record rainfall. Italian authorities said Piedmont region recorded its highest rainfall totals since 1958. Sambughetto in the Province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola recorded 630 mm of rain in 24 hours to 03 October 2020. Limone Piemonte in the Province of Cuneo recorded 580 mm of rain during the same period.
Meanwhile Meteo France reported 500.2 mm of rain in 24 hours to 03 October at Saint-Martin-Vésubie, which is the equivalent of more than three months of rain and a record daily amount.

France
In France, areas of Alpes-Maritimes Department were among the hardest hit, in particular the communes of Saint-Martin-Vésubie and Breil-sur-Roya. Hundreds of homes are thought to have been destroyed or damaged.
After visiting affected areas, French Prime Minister Jean Castex said that at least 8 people were missing, including two firefighters whose vehicle was swept away by flood water.
The Prime Minister added that the priority is to search for victims, provide supplies and accommodation for disaster victims and restore communications.
French Fire service said 952 firefighters have been mobilized in the Alpes-Maritimes Department, of which nearly 400 are engaged in the communes of Saint-Martin-Vésubie and Breil-sur-Roya. As of 04 October 429 interventions had been carried out. Military and helicopters have been deployed to assist with rescue efforts.

Italy
In Italy, the Fire Department – Vigili del Fuoco – has carried out 2,500 interventions in Piedmont, Liguria and Lombardy regions. As many as 92 people have been rescued by helicopters.
In the Aosta Valley Region, a firefighter died during a rescue operation. Another fatality was reported after a man was swept away by flood waters in Vercelli province in Piedmont on 02 October. A third fatality was reported after a body was found in Col de Tende area in the Province of Cuneo, also Piedmont Region.
Vigili del Fuoco rescued dozens of people trapped in vehicles along the Col de Tende mountain pass in the Alps, close to the border with France. Rescue and evacuations were also carried out in parts of Cuneo and Vercelli provinces.
Civil Defence helicopter teams were searching for people missing after flooding from the Sesia River in Palestro in the province of Pavia, Lombardy Region.
Several rivers in the region have exceeded danger levels, including the Sesia at Borgosesia and Palestro, the Po at Valenza, the Tanaro at Garessio and Farigliano, and the Toce at Candoglia.
Social Media – France
#Meteo06 épisode méditerranéen exceptionnel avec localement 470mm de pluie tombés. Généralement 250mm sur les reliefs. Plusieurs personnes emportées 😥
Secteur Roya / Tinée / Vésubie très touchés #vigilancerouge #tempeteALEX
Vidéo Murielle Richy pic.twitter.com/UCx7OvBSBU— Nice Météo 06 (@NiceMeteo06) October 2, 2020
#TempêteAlex I Depuis hier, les @PompiersFR se mobilisent sans relâche pour secourir les habitants des #AlpesMaritimes :
▶️ 350 interventions
▶️ 239 personnes mises en sécuritéLa #ForceDesSecours se mobilise pour retrouver toutes les personnes disparues dont 2 #pompiers 🙏🏽. pic.twitter.com/fyNCkf46VK
— Pompiers de France (@PompiersFR) October 3, 2020
#Intempéries | Le département des @AlpesMaritimes toujours touché par de fortes pluies.L’arrière pays niçois & mentonnais sont touchés.Les sapeurs-#pompiers du @sdis_06 renforcés par @SDIS34 @Pompiers_13 @MarinsPompiers @pompiersdugard sont au contact des populations.
📸@sdis_06 pic.twitter.com/sl9yUrnkiQ— Pompiers de France (@PompiersFR) October 2, 2020
Avec @JeanCASTEX, nous sommes auprès des habitants et des agents publics des Alpes-Maritimes. La mobilisation de nos forces de sécurité et de secours est exceptionnelle. Nous leur en sommes profondément reconnaissants. #TempeteAlex pic.twitter.com/9lI5CBVw6u
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) October 3, 2020
En direct du Dragon 06 reconnaissance du secteur de la Vésubie.
📸 Dragon 06 pic.twitter.com/j1vfE3Rd7r— Sapeurs-pompiers 06 (@sdis_06) October 3, 2020
Social Media – Italy
#Maltempo #Pavia, aerosoccorritori dei #vigilidelfuoco impegnati a Palestro nella ricerca dell’uomo disperso da ieri sera. Nella clip viene scandagliata l’area intorno all’abitazione sommersa dall’esondazione del Sesia #4ottobre pic.twitter.com/pPAk4BBu21
— Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) October 4, 2020
#Maltempo, 2.500 interventi dei #vigilidelfuoco in #Piemonte, #Lombardia e #Liguria, 92 le persone salvate con gli elicotteri #4ottobre pic.twitter.com/fcETq9YXAH
— Vigili del Fuoco (@emergenzavvf) October 4, 2020