Violent storms caused flooding in several departments during the night from Thursday to Friday, August 2.
The stormy night of Thursday, August 1, brought heavy rainfall to the northeastern quarter of France, particularly in Seine-et-Marne and in the Vosges, details Meteo France.
The Vosges prefecture has set up a crisis unit. In some places, the water rose to a height of two metres. The floods affect at least 26 municipalities. According to Vosges prefect Valérie Michel-Moreaux, the situation is “worrying”, but “not as catastrophic as expected”, reports France Info. A nursing home was left without electricity and leaks were found on the roof. Three residents had to change rooms. In Damas-et-Bettegney, extensive damage was noted. “A lot of low walls collapsed, cars were taken away and there is major damage to the houses. Some are uninhabitable”, says mayor Claude Maire. Firefighters intervened nearly 150 times during the night in the department. The Vosges prefecture advises avoiding waterways and bridges, and not crossing a submerged road. “Stormy rain episodes are expected again today, Friday. The cumulative rainfall forecast will nevertheless be less significant than the day before and should not generate new reactions on the Madon”, explains Vigicrues.
Olympic sites affected in Seine-et-Marne
In Seine-et-Marne, several municipalities were also affected by floods. “The stormy rains at the end of the day on Thursday, August 1st were of rare intensity for the region,” indicates the Vigicrues website.
Olympic venues have also been affected. The Vaires-sur-Marne water sports stadium, which hosts the rowing and canoeing events during the Olympic Games, has been secured.
The Interministerial Delegate for the Olympic and Paralympic Games, Prefect CADOT, accompanied by the Prefect of Seine-et-Marne and the Deputy Departmental Military Delegate, paid tribute to the soldiers of the operation #SENTINEL who secure the Olympic site of Vaires-sur-Marne. pic.twitter.com/lAKLFzkBU4
— Paris Defense and Security Zone (@ZDS_Paris) August 1, 2024
In the department “the weather forecast today is clearly improving. The cumulative rainfall forecast will not cause any new reactions on the lower Grand Morin. Elsewhere, the forecast rain will not be such as to cause any significant reaction in the monitored watercourses”, according to Vigicrues.
In Nord-Pas-de-Calais, the situation has improved after heavy storms on the night of July 31 to August 1. Nearly 200 sheep were trapped in several meters of water. At least 130 of them did not survive.