This Saturday, 18 French departments are always placed in amber alert, five flood risk and three for “snow-ice”. In Paris, if the flood of the Seine is announced lower than expected, the capital prepares to its peak on Saturday.
This Saturday will be dry and bright in the South, grey in the North, according to forecasts from Meteo France who placed nineteen departments orange alert floods and snow-ice. Fifteen departments are already in orange alert because of the risk of flooding until 4pm on Saturday. On the basins of the Seine, Saone and their tributaries, and the Meuse for Saulx and Ornain rivers. The Seine flood peak is expected this weekend in Paris: it should finally be lower than in 2016 .
Three departments in vigilance snow-ice
Three other departments remain vigilant orange snow-ice: the Loire, Haute-Loire and the Ardeche until 10am Saturday, according to the latest bulletin of Météo-France. The alert was lifted on Lozere.
Il #neige fortement depuis hier matin dans le Massif-Central. Sur l’#Aveyron, la Haute-Loire, la #Lozère et l’Ardèche et le haut-Gard, les épaisseurs de neige fraîche atteignent de 20 à 50 cm vers 1200 mètres d’altitude. pic.twitter.com/DzUcPkrhEZ
— La Chaîne Météo (@lachainemeteo) January 27, 2018
The flood peak of the Seine expected this weekend in Paris should eventually be lower than in 2016, although the Seine continued to rise in the night from Friday to Saturday. Forecasters had expected far on a peak between 5.80 m and 6.20 m in Paris, is probably above the flood of 2016 (6.10 m). But “the closer the event, plus you get to reduce this uncertainty and would rather now between 5.80 m and 6 m,” said Friday François Duquesne, director Vigicrues. Very far from the historic flood of 1910 (8.62 m). The Seine reached Saturday at 2.51am, 5.68 m Austerlitz Bridge. It reached 5.62 meters Friday at 5pm.
Originally this flood phenomenon that affects various regions of France for a few days of rain on waterlogged soils. The two-month period from December to January is one of the three wettest since records began in 1900, according to Météo-France. The Geological Survey (BRGM) monitors his side the situation of ground water close to their maximum, which, near the Marne, the Yonne and downstream of Paris, could further slow the receding floods locally, if the waters groundwater should reach the surface.
The descent of the water should indeed be just as slow as the rise of the last days and the Seine level should remain high for several days after the peak, although still far from the historic flood of 1910 (8, 62 m). It will “pay attention” to the descent, insisted Marc Mortureux, director of risk prevention at the Department of Ecological Transition. ” If repleut much from the middle of next week, I do not know at this stage, it is not necessarily the end,” he added.
666 people evacuated
In total, in Île-de-France, 666 people were evacuated, according to the police headquarters. Less than 1 400 subscribers on 6.2 million without electricity, but that figure could rise to 14,000, according Enedis, the network manager. In Seine-et-Marne, eight cities were affected by use restrictions of drinking water, several private schools and partially blocked roads. In the Yvelines, the hospital Meulan-Les Mureaux, where 86 patients were treated, was evacuated Friday night.
In the basin of the Seine, the Yonne was still faces Friday at the “major flooding” as closed prefecture. An emergency cell for companies hit by flooding was implemented by the Regional Directorate of enterprises, competition, consumption, labor and employment (Direccte) of Île-de-France ( idf.continuite-eco@direccte.gouv.fr ) Another point of attention: the Saône, which saw the arrival waters of the Doubs, placed earlier in the week in red alert.
The level of the Seine will remain high for several days
The Geological Survey (BRGM) monitors his side the situation of ground water close to their maximum, which, near the Marne, the Yonne and downstream of Paris, could further slow the receding floods locally, if the waters groundwater should reach the surface.
The descent of the water should indeed be just as slow as the rise of the last days and the level of the Seine expected to remain high for several days after the peak. It will “pay attention” to the descent, insisted Marc Mortureux, director of risk prevention at the Department of Ecological Transition. The central section of the RER C line in Paris is closed at least until the 31st January. The Louvre and Orsay have taken precautions and ministries are preparing for a possible withdrawal of the emergency sites. The waterways of France have banned navigation, including all upstream Seine, Paris included.
Private water and electricity homes
Other towns in the Paris region have been affected in recent days, particularly at Villeneuve-Saint-Georges (Val-de-Marne), where an area at the confluence of the Seine Yerres and was invaded by waters. In Seine-et-Marne, eight cities were affected by use restrictions of drinking water, several private schools and partially blocked roads. Due to rise in tablecloths, some 200 homes were without heating in the Hauts-de-Seine. In the basin of the Seine, the Yonne was still faces Friday at the “major flooding” according to the prefecture, which reported forty cut secondary roads and a closed school group.
In Seine-Maritime and Eure, 33,830 people were already deprived of drinking water Friday morning. Another point of attention: the Saône, which saw the arrival waters of the Doubs, placed Monday red alert. The flood wave was approaching Friday Chalon-sur-Saône and will slowly descend to Macon, according Vigicrues. Regarding the Seine, four reservoir lakes of the river basin, which began to store water since early January, were filled Friday at 94% of their normal capacity.
Snow
On the other hand, four departments, Loire, Haute-Loire, Ardeche, Lozere, are orange alert for snow and ice until Saturday 10:00. On Cévennes and Vivarais, it has already fallen more than 50 to 70 cm of snow. It also snow on the Isere with a limit of snow fluctuating between 300 and 500 meters.
