ISTANBUL French authorities placed 19 departments on orange alert Wednesday as Storm Nils brought heavy rain, flood risks and strong winds to large parts of the country, according to Meteo-France. The national weather agency said the storm system would affect France from Wednesday through Thursday, bringing “violent winds and further significant rainfall in many regions.” Six departments -- Vendee, Charente-Maritime, Gironde, Landes, Haute-Corse and Corse-du-Sud -- were placed on orange alert