Riviera underwater as freak "tsunami" hits the coast

Giant waves crashed into beach restaurants up and down Nice's Promenade des Anglais yesterday, creating an almost apocolyptic scene. Photo by Pascal Spadone

Joggers used to pounding up and down the Promenade des Anglais were banned from taking their favourite running route by police, as the famous walkway was devastated by waves, measuring over six meters high, crashing across the beach and over the railings. And the Prom was not the only place to feel the full force of what residents have dubbed the Riviera “tsunami”. Huge damage to the seafront has today been reported not only in Nice but also in Cannes, Antibes, Menton and Cagnes-sur-mer. Beach resorts, like Larvotto, in Monaco were also rocked by the giant surf.

Only a few days before its world-famous Film Festival, Cannes’ Croisette was yesterday completely submerged underwater. The end of Laubeuf Quay’s dyke took a severe battering, as did some of the port facilities.

In Nice, most of the beach restaurants and bars have been destroyed, furniture and chairs swept away. Vehicles being diverted away from the Promenade yesterday evening were stuck in standstill traffic until late into the night. The city’s mayor, Christian Estrosi, has already requested that the incident be classified as a natural disaster. This would allow the beach restaurants to be quickly compensated for the damage caused.

Having officially welcomed the start of the 2010 summer season last weekend by opening the first supervised beaches along the Promenade, access to these very same beaches is now completely forbidden.

Reacting to these events, which financially could be a nightmare for shops, restaurants and the tourist industry and also threaten the security of inhabitants and cause problems on the roads, Eric Ciotti, President of the Alpes Maritimes Council, yesterday offered his support and assistance to the disaster-struck towns. He said he was prepared to mobilize 'Force 06', a level of operation usually put into action after environmental disasters to restore streets and clean up damaged area.

All Côte towns are acting quickly to bring about a full recovery so that they will once again be fully prepared to welcome the thousands of tourists set to visit the region in the coming weeks.

TP/HM