CARDEL, Mexico, Oct 7 (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Marco rolled over Mexico's Gulf coast on Tuesday, dumping heavy rains, flooding coastal areas and forcing people to flee to higher ground. Rivers overflowed and rising floodwaters were 3 feet (1 meter) deep in coastal towns near the port city of Veracruz. Some residents refused to evacuate the area and were scrambling to move their possessions and animals away from the flood plains. There were no reports of injuries or missing people and all three of the country's main oil exporting ports remained open. The storm brewed up quickly on Monday in the southern Gulf of Mexico, prompting state oil company Pemex to shut down four offshore production platforms and close six wells at a natural gas field. Pemex's main production facilities at the giant Cantarell and Ku Maloob Zaap fields east of the storm were unaffected. (Reporting by Manuel Carrillo and Robert Campbell; Editing by Doina Chiacu)
Algeria's Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia speaks during a news conference in Algiers after his visit to the flood affected region of Ghardaia October 7, 2008. REUTERS/Louafi Larbi (ALGERIA) ...
