While nearly twenty people are wanted by the emergency services after the heavy rains which fell in the Alpes-Maritimes in the night from Friday to Saturday, the prefect of the department, Bernard Gonzalez, assured Europe 1 that his services have " everything done "to anticipate and organize relief as well as possible.
TESTIMONY
Nearly 1,000 firefighters and army soldiers are mobilized on Sunday in the Alpes-Maritimes hit by exceptional floods, to work to restore communication lines and search for the eight people officially missing and ten others. wanted.
While Prime Minister Jean Castex expressed, on Saturday, his deep concern about the final results, the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, Bernard Gonzalez, estimated on Europe 1 that "everything" had been done to "organize relief in better".
"Absolutely rotten weather"
"There were shelters, made safe. The problem was this absolutely rotten weather, this very violent wind and helicopters nailed to the ground. We could have put people in safety, it was impossible, we had to progress on foot, "lamented Bernard Gonzalez, who denies any lack of anticipation.
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"The anticipation has been there"
The prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes was indignant at the criticisms received on social networks about the measures taken.
"People on social networks said that the measures taken as early as Thursday evening, in anticipation of this weather phenomenon, were stupid measures. I say it: no, it was not stupid to close nurseries, schools, colleges , high schools and universities. No, it was not stupid to close shopping centers. The anticipation, it was there, "he says.
"We have done everything to be able to organize the relief as well as possible under the conditions that Heaven has given us", he concluded.