Red flood alerts issued in southwestern France
Exceptional rainfall has triggered red flood alerts in France, particularly along the River Garonne in the country's southwest. Authorities are urging residents in affected areas to take precautions as the severe weather continues. The Garonne is a major waterway known to be prone to flooding.
- The flooding, triggered by Storm Nils, has prompted Météo-France to place the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne departments on red alert, the highest level, while eleven other departments are on orange alert. - At least two fatalities have been linked to Storm Nils, one in the Landes department and another in Tarn-et-Garonne. The storm's impact also includes the evacuation of 600 people in Lot-et-Garonne following the collapse of a flood barrier. - Widespread power outages have affected the region, with up to 900,000 households losing electricity at the peak of the storm. Enedis, the electricity distributor, has mobilized thousands of technicians to restore power. - The Garonne River has a long history of severe flooding, with catastrophic events recorded as far back as the 6th century. Notably, the flood of June 1875 in Toulouse caused 200 deaths, and another in 1930 in Moissac resulted in 120 deaths and left 6,000 homeless. - Vigicrues, the national flood monitoring service, reported that for 30 consecutive days, some part of France has been under an orange or red flood alert, setting a new record. - The storm has caused significant travel disruptions, including the cancellation of train services and multiple closures on the motorway network. In the Alps, the storm led to an avalanche risk of level 5, the highest possible, in the Savoie region. - The insured loss estimate for France from wind damage caused by Storm Nils ranges from 800 million to 1.2 billion EUR, though this does not include damages from localized flooding. - Beyond the immediate flooding, the agricultural sector in the region faces significant threats, as floods can lead to crop loss, soil saturation, and the leaching of essential nutrients.
