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Floodwaters Recede in Paris, Nearby Areas Remain at Risk


A man waves standing on a barge on the Seine river during floods, in Paris, June 5, 2016. Flooding in French capital is part of a weeklong deluge that has swamped large parts of Europe, killing at least 18 people in Germany, France, Romania and Belgium.
A man waves standing on a barge on the Seine river during floods, in Paris, June 5, 2016. Flooding in French capital is part of a weeklong deluge that has swamped large parts of Europe, killing at least 18 people in Germany, France, Romania and Belgium.

Floodwaters on the River Seine began receding Sunday in Paris, providing museum curators, merchants, transit operators and the general public relief from the city's worst flooding in three decades.

By late Sunday, emergency workers had downgraded public warnings elsewhere in northern Normandy, as villages and towns surrounding the capital began to dig out and assess damage.

However, the Louvre museum and some key roadways in the capital remained closed. Television footage showed the city's famed restaurants along the Seine still engulfed in water, with tourist boats unable to pass under bridges.

The devastation in the city is part of a weeklong deluge that has swamped large parts of Europe and killed at least 18 people in Germany, France, Romania and Belgium.

French President Francois Hollande, speaking Sunday, said his cabinet will meet Monday to map a recovery strategy. He also told Inter radio that he remains confident the monthlong European Championship soccer tournament set to begin Friday in French the capital will open as scheduled.

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