Flooding in Pas-de-Calais: red vigilance for “exceptional” floods, the water must still rise

Red flood vigilance is still in progress in Pas-de-Calais and dozens of municipalities are already there flooded. While damage is already occurring, observed and that residents are called to do so. stay at home, the water level must still rise.

Pas-de-Calais has its feet in the water. Two rivers are on red flood alert this Tuesday, November 7: the Liane and the Aa. Both are threatened by "exceptional floods" and "very significant flooding is possible, including in rarely flooded areas" warns Vigicrues.

These rising waters which have gained Around sixty municipalities are due, among other things, to successive bad weather, the rains of recent days and waterlogged soils which can no longer absorb the overflowing water. "On the Aa, the flood is exceptional, higher than the average. the historic flood of 2002" according to the Vigicrues agency and on the Liane the water should reach "between 5.30 and 5.60 meters" in the morning of this Tuesday. These floods will further intensify with the precipitation which is expected this afternoon after the calm of the morning. Moreover, in addition to the flood vigilance, the Pas-de-Calais and the North are on orange rain-flood alert at least until December. 4 p.m.

Five other western departments are also on orange alert in the face of the risk of flooding after the passage of storm Domingos last weekend and while a new depression approaches from the southwest. Deux-Sévres, Charente-Maritime, Charente, Gironde and Dordogne are affected by the alerts.

Seven injured and hundreds of interventions

Seven people were killed. injured in Pas-de-Calais and the North since the start of the floods and floods, the Ministry of the Interior announced on X (former Twitter). Gérald Darmanin also specifies hundreds of rescuer interventions took place during the night. For future interventions, more than 1,500 firefighters are mobilized.

The FR-Alert system has been implemented. triggered and everyone in the area received a message asking them to get to safety. and communicating the safety measures to them. in case of flooding. Residents must take refuge at heights, cut off water, gas and electricity. and cancel all trips. 

"The water level may still rise" in Pas-de-Calais

With the "exceptional" of the Liane and the Aa and the "significant" of the Hem – this last watercourse had already been destroyed. overwhelmed after the passage of storm Ciaran on November 2 and 3 -, numerous floods are underway in Pas-de-Calais. The situation is "very very difficult" worries the vice-president of the Hauts-de-France region in charge of mobility, transport infrastructure and ports, Franck Dhersin. The elected official also warns that "the water level risks further rising", this Tuesday, November 7 on Franceinfo.

Floods and mudslides lead to the closure of several roads. They are also at your disposal. the origin of power outages which are already affecting thousands of people. Damage is also reported in homes and businesses.