February 28, the hurricane-force winds and rains of Xynthia storm hit Western Europe killing 52 people and wounding 59 others.

At least 45 people died in France, Agence France-Presse reports. Many victims drowned in floods or were hit by falling trees and branches. At least a dozen of people were reported missing. More than 900.000 houses in France are left without power.

March 1, French President Nicolas Sarkozy will arrive in the affected regions. Local authorities made a decision to allocate €1m to the storm-hit regions.

Meteorologists say, it is the deadliest storm in France within the recent 10 years.

L.A.