France declares emergency as two dead and thousands evacuated

Paris: Thousands of people has been forced from their homes in southern Paris by torrential rains as River Seine gush to its highest height in 30 years, closing down the famed Louvre and Orsay museums and a metro line.

In a statement on Thursday, the prefecture said a 74 year old man trying to cross a flooded field on horseback drowned in Evry-Gregy-sur-Yerre, south of Paris. The horse survived but sustained minor injuries.
The man is the second victim of the torrential rains that have made the Loire and Seine rivers to burst their banks.
On Wednesday, an 86-year-old woman was also found dead in her flooded house in a small town south-west of Paris late on Wednesday.

Over 3,000 out of 13,000 inhabitants have been evacuated in Nemours, 75 km south of Paris, as floodwaters rise towards the second story buildings in the city centre.
Officials said the Seine could peak at six metres in Paris on Friday emphasizing that it was still well below the level where it would pose threath to residents. .
French President Francois Hollande has declared a state of emergency in the worst affected areas and promised to fund victims of flood damage.