People look at the damage in the port of Saint-Martin-de-Re Photo: AFP/GETTY The storms ripped through cities, uprooting trees and street signs, wreaking havoc on rail networks and forcing hundreds of flights to be cancelled at airports like Paris and Frankfurt. Three people were killed in Spain, two in Germany and one in Portugal, but France was the worst hit as heavy rains, strong gusts of wind and high tides destroyed Atlantic coast sea walls, killing 25 people in the town of l'Aiguillon sur Mer alone, the mayor told French television.   Related Articles Tropical storm Gustav batters Jamaica on Hurricane Katrina anniversary Australia's east coast a disaster zone after severe floods Flood-hit areas of Britain lashed with rain as forecasters warn of high winds Hurricane Ike lashes the Caribbean and threatens to cause more flooding in Haiti Five dead as fierce storms lash Britain "It is a natural catastrophe," French Interior Minister Brice Hortefeux told BFM TV, estimating the total death toll in France at between 45 and 50 and warning that high tides could cause further damage.[Read more...]