Seine recedes in Paris, but other areas still at risk

Floodwaters slowly receded from the streets of Paris on Sunday, one day after the Seine River reached its highest level in more than 30
years. But new thunderstorms were expected to hit eastern France early this week, and in Normandy, northwest of the French capital, the
Seine River was expected to peak late Sunday.In Paris, the river peaked Saturday at more than 13 feet above normal, according to thenational flood service. Authorities warned that it could take up to 10 days to return to normal levels.
The Louvre Museum, as well as several Paris train stations and roads, remained closed, the
Associated Press reported, with restaurants along the Seine still engulfed in water and tourist boats unable to pass under bridges.
But the glass-topped Grand Palais exhibition hall opened again on Sunday, two days after it closed amid flooding concerns. It is hosting
an exhibit by avant-garde Chinese artist Huang Yong Ping, among several others.
The worst flooding appeared to end earlier this weekend, Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported, as water levels began to fall for the
first time in nearly a week. The flooding was the worst in France’s capital since 1982, the newspaper reported, with more than 20,000
people evacuated since last weekend and about 18,000 homes without power earlier last week.
More than 11,000 French homes were still.without electricity on Sunday, AP reported. President Francois Hollande said two top-level
meetings this week — one on Monday and another Wednesday — will focus on the flooding and its aftermath
"We are very vigilant so that should there be more bad weather, there won't be consequences," Hollande told France Inter.radio. Hollande said he was confident that the
month-long European Championship soccer.tournament, which begins Friday, would not be hampered by floods.