President Emmanuel Macron goes to the Alpes-Maritimes on Wednesday, five days after the deadly floods which left at least four dead in France and eight missing.

Jean-Pierre Vassallo, the mayor of Tende, one of the villages hard hit by storm Alex, is impatiently awaiting him. 

TESTIMONY

Five days after the torrential rains that hit the Alpes-Maritimes and the entire Nice highlands, Emmanuel Macron comes to support the residents traumatized by the destruction on Wednesday.

The President of the Republic will visit in particular Tende, one of the three villages still cut off from the world after the disaster, and whose mayor, Jean-Pierre Vassallo, now calls on the Head of State to "learn from this event".  

>> READ ALSO - 

Storm Alex: cut off from the world, the town of Tende is getting organized after the disaster

"No contact with the outside for more than 24 hours"

"We must realize that at the time of the most efficient means of communication, we manage to stay more than 24 hours without being able to have contact with the outside", laments the councilor at the microphone of Europe 1. 

"Me, when I was fighting, at the most difficult time on Friday night and all day Saturday, I had nothing."

At the same time, according to Jean-Pierre Vassallo, "people have learned that there is a noria of helicopters in the other valleys."

This "oblivion" of the Roya valley and the town of Tende "caused an incredible feeling of revolt", says the elected official.

"Some felt that they were not considered full French"

After the observation of material and human damage (since Saturday, at least four dead and eight missing people have been recorded in the region), the time has come to take stock.

"We felt forgotten. I will tell Emmanuel Macron," says Jean-Pierre Vassallo.

"Some said 'but we have the impression of not being part of France'. Given that we are a border area with Italy, some have the feeling of not being considered as French apart whole. "

>> Find the morning show of the day in replay and podcast here

Questioned at the National Assembly on the future actions of the government, Prime Minister Jean Castex assured that "the State will be there".

According to him, "there is no question that only the impacted local authorities bear the consequences" of these exceptional floods.

Also, Jean Castex announced that the Council of Ministers will declare Wednesday in the territories concerned the state of natural disaster.