Flooding: 5 departments under red alert, alert in Île-de-France

Published by My de Sortiraparis · Photos by My de Sortiraparis · Published on October 17, 2024 at 11:20 p.m.
An episode in the Cévennes is causing intense rainfall on Thursday October 17 and Friday October 18, resulting in rapidly rising rivers in several regions. While six départements, including Lozère and Alpes-Maritimes, are under red alert, Île-de-France remains under orange alert for the risk of rain and flooding, with the exception of Seine-et-Marne, which is under yellow. In Paris, some streets were submerged, and gusts of 52 km/h were recorded, causing disruption to transport services.

Don't put away your umbrella, we're not out of the woods yet. While torrential rain has already lashed Paris as the Kirk low-pressure system passed through, completely flooding some metro lines in the process, heavy precipitation continues in the Île-de-France region.

Since this morning, some areas, notably in the Yvelines department, have received up to 50 mm of rain, prompting preventive evacuations. In Paris, a falling tree tragically claimed the life of a man walking with two slightly injured children in the 19th arrondissement.

The day was marked by major transport disruptions, particularly on several train and RER lines. There are also closures on roads in the Paris region, such as the Sevines tunnel in Gennevilliers. According to Sytadin, traffic is particularly heavy, with more than 260 km of accumulated traffic jams in the Paris region. Roads such as the N118 and theA86 are partially blocked by the bad weather, making travel very difficult.

At national level, the situation continues to give cause for concern. In addition to the six departments under red alert, 34 others are under orange alert, including most of Paris.

Day nurseries and schools in some communes, such as Annonay in the Ardèche, had to be closed or evacuated due to flooding. In Lozère, school transport was suspended in several areas, and school closures were ordered in several communes to ensure the safety of residents.

In the south of France, exceptional rainfall was observed, with accumulations reaching between 400 and 600 mm locally. This situation could change over the next few hours, according to Météo France, which is closely monitoring the progress of the disturbance. The Cevennes phenomenon, responsible for these torrential downpours, is common in this region, although it also affects other areas further north, due to the movement of Mediterranean air masses andcold air from the north.

While Thursday night could see a second rainy episode, the authorities are calling on residents in at-risk areas to remain vigilant and limit their movements. This Friday, most of the Ile-de-France region remains under orange vigilance, with the exception of Seine-et-Marne.

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