At least 45 dead in western Europe storms

[muriel_volestrangler]

Source: BBC

At least 45 people have been killed in storms that have lashed parts of Spain, Portugal and France, officials say.

Forty of the victims died in western France, where many drowned or were hit by parts of buildings or falling trees.

Winds of up to 140km/h (87mph) caused chaos as they moved from Portugal up through the Bay of Biscay.

The storm system is moving north-eastwards and is expected to reach Denmark by the evening, French meteorological authorities said.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8540762.stm

[dipsydoodle]

1. Changes almost by the minute

it's at least 50 now.

BTW The original post LBN post on this subject yesterday morning got shoved off to GD. Mind you it is only Europe
:sarcasm:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=389&topic_id=7806544

[eagertolearn]

2. Wow those small cars got squished. It must have been one

big tree or those fuel efficient cars just don't hold up. Did they have any warning that this storm would be so bad?

[dipsydoodle]

3. See #1 above from yesterday morning before it hit.

Our fuel efficient littl'uns were designed with that in mind - not to withstand trees. :)

[Bigmack]

4. "Catastrophic Climate Events".. the new name for Global Warming. nt

[Odin2005]

5. Wow, is this the same storm that hit the Northeastern US?

[scottsoperson]

6. scientific consensus agrees with al gore

Over eight out of ten American climate scientists believe that human activity contributes to global warming, according to a new survey released by the Statistical Assessment Service (STATS) at George Mason University. The researchers also report that belief in human-induced warming has more than doubled since the last major survey of American climate scientists in 1991. However, the survey finds that scientists are still debating the dynamics and dangers of global warming, and only three percent trust newspaper or television coverage of climate change.

[Odin2005]

8. Uh, that didn't answer my question.

[dipsydoodle]

7. France declares storms 'national disaster'

France has declared a national disaster after violent storms battered parts of the country leaving death and destruction in their wake.

Prime Minister Francois Fillon said the move would release funds to help communities rebuild.

At least 50 people have been killed in the storms that have swept parts of Spain, Portugal and France.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is to visit the storm-battered Atlantic coast where 45 deaths occurred.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/8542361.stm

[onehandle]

9. What? Sarkozy is isn't grinning over a cake somewhere with some has-been Senator?

He's actually doing things and going to the affected people?