flash floods

Focus more on water, less on wind and beware the cone of uncertainty. Here's a simple guide for understanding hurricane risks.

Torrential rain led to flash floods and landslides that swept away homes, buildings and people. Rescuers continue to search for survivors as waters recede in one of the poorest parts of the country.

"The roots and the bottoms of the utility poles are just kind of swimming," Cal Fire spokesman Rick Carhart said on Thursday. Rescue teams worked to save motorists stranded on flooded roads.

Three months' worth of rain fell in just a few hours, France's Interior Ministry says. One resident called it "the apocalypse."