France Creates Flood Emergency Fund

PARIS (AP) -- Prime Minister Manuel Valls says France will set up an emergency fund to help people who lost everything after the worst floods in three decades caused the Seine River to burst its banks.

Valls said after a government meeting that "return to normality will take time" and that "solidarity is called for."

He said the fund will be credited with "several tens of thousands euros" (dollars) to provide quick help to people with no resources.

About 7,000 French homes remained without electricity Monday and the Louvre museum will stay closed until Tuesday.

In Paris, several train stations and roads remained closed and emergency crews were pumping water out of a key highway interchange.

At least 18 people died from the flooding in Germany, France, Romania and Belgium.

(KA)