A French court has sentenced a former mayor and his deputy to prison for ignoring flood risks and encouraging development in their Atlantic Coast town before aging sea walls collapsed in a 2010 storm that killed dozens.
The storm, called Xynthia, smashed through thousands of homes, destroyed oyster farms, flooded ports and unleashed heavy criticism of weak sea walls along the coast.
The court found that town officials in La Faute-sur-Mer “intentionally hid” information about flood risks so as not to scare away lucrative development on the town’s picturesque, poorly protected shoreline.
Former Mayor Rene Marratier told reporters after the verdict Friday in western France that his four-year prison sentence was “unjust.”
Environmental groups argue that climate change makes it even more urgent for France to shore up sea defenses.
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
The Great Modern Train Robbery: Thieves Steal $200 Million a Year 
Los Angeles Faces Days of 100F Heat as Southwest Fire Risk Grows 
Chronic Traumatic Brain Damage Widespread in Former NFL Athletes 
California Adopts Weaker Home Protection Rules as Wildfires Grow 
Want to stay up to date?
Get the latest insurance news
sent straight to your inbox.