FLOOD: Authorities fear that the first storms have serious consequences favored by drought soil …
- In the fall, heavy rain events can occur suddenly in the South East of France.
- But dry soils could worsen the situation.
- The authorities call for vigilance.
This summer, France, and particularly the Southeast, was ravaged by flames. Nearly 9,000 hectares of vegetation were burnt. While the fire is still current, nature could again be the scene of natural disasters this fall in the region due to the Cevennes episodes.
These specific high rainfall events in the Mediterranean region are characterized by large amounts of water that flow within hours. These rains are due to warm air lifts, humid and unstable from the Mediterranean, which in contact with cold air, condenses into clouds and produce storms of intense rain. It is these events that caused deadly floods on the French Riviera in the fall of 2015.
“Substantial damage” are feared
Now the first big rains of autumn could be particularly devastating fall. Already, scientific studies show that these episodes could intensify and become more frequent as the century, partly because of global warming.
Le réchauffement climatique va-t-il multiplier le nombre de morts en Europe? Une étude l’affirme https://t.co/UH1UfoWs6e pic.twitter.com/V7AHy7Wr8f
— 20 Minutes (@20Minutes) 5 August 2017
But above all, the summer drought could worsen the situation. “Prolonged drought can worsen runoff phenomenon,” says Jean-Luc Marino, forecaster at Meteo France. “The coastal rivers are capable of committing enormous damage in a short time, fears Stéphane Bouillon , the regional prefect. The drought has destabilized the trees that will collapse with the first rains. The soil is extremely dry for several months. The rippling water will not enter the land but bring stone and land. The first rainstorms result in significant damage. ”
It is for this reason that the prefecture has launched this Thursday its information campaign against a population that is not always very careful. We remember in fact that there are two, in the Alpes-Maritimes, several people died going to recover their cars in their garages. It is too early to determine precisely the extent of upcoming episodes Cevennes by Meteo France.
