ARRAS - Flooding in northern France on Tuesday forced the evacuation of 150 people and cut several major roads and rail lines, officials said.

The rising waters came after violent storms passed through the region, from Arras to the English Channel. More rain forecast Tuesday was expected to slow clean-up efforts. Firemen said they had received more than 500 calls for help, mainly from residents needing to have water pumped from cellars and houses.

A major freeway was cut for several hours, and several secondary roads remained impassable. The SNCF national railways said train services around Arras were disrupted and would not quickly return to normal because of the continuing rain.

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