French residents helpless as floodwaters slowly recede

When Michel Gouman left his house with a few belongings and his dog on his shoulders on November 9, water was rushing in uncontrollably from his flooded garden, as the northern Pas-de-Calais region's rivers overflowed. The water has now receded to just a few yards from his front door but the maximum level it reached inside the house, 12 inches, left a mark on the walls, while furniture remains completely soaked.