Louvre reopens after heavy flooding shuttered Paris museum

The Mona Lisa is on display to the public again after the Louvre was closed last week due to flooding.

Officials at the Paris museum moved 35,000 artworks from lower rooms threatened by the rising River Seine that runs next to the building. Leonardo Da Vinci's masterpiece, which can once again be viewed  Wednesday, is located on an upper floor and did not have to be moved during the flooding.

The Musée d'Orsay also opened Wednesday after being closed because of the raging river that winds through central Paris.

France’s Cabinet formally declared a “natural disaster” in 782 towns and villages considered to be the most affected by the flooding in an effort to help residents and businesses receive financial assistance quickly, the Associated Press reported.

Floodwaters slowly receded from the streets of Paris on Sunday, a day after the Seine reached its highest level in more than 30 years.

In Paris, the river peaked Saturday at more than 13 feet above normal, according to the national flood service. Authorities had warned that it could take up to 10 days to return to normal levels.

The flooding was the worst in France’s capital since 1982, with more than 20,000 people evacuated since last weekend, Britain’s Guardian newspaper reported.

At least 19 people died in the flooding after a week of exceptionally heavy rains across France, Germany, Romania and Belgium. At least three people died in France, including a 74-year-old man and an 86-year-old woman.

Contributing: Greg Toppo