2024-01-02 17:41:05
A month and a half after a historic flood episode in Pas-de-Calais, rivers in northern France are overflowing again this Tuesday, with rain falling on soils that are still saturated. Météo-France has also decided to put the department on red flood alert. HAS Bourthesa village in Pas-de-Calais crossed by the Aa – especially concerned by the alert – residents are examining this Tuesday morning with concern the brown water which has invaded the main street, sometimes rising up to knee height and coming to lick doorsteps.
For the Aa, “exceptional levels are expected to be reached from the evening”, warns Vigicrues, who previously classified the Aa in orange, just like the main rivers in the department. Firefighters had to carry out seven evacuations Tuesday morning, according to a report from the prefecture. In Rebecques, a campsite which accommodates around fifty people all year round was flooded, and 17 people were sheltered in a village hall. This time, from Monday evening, the owners of the campsite “loaded the truck with inflatable mattresses and pillows”, says the manager, Jérôme Leal. This Tuesday morning, “around 9:00 a.m., in a quarter of an hour, everyone had left”. In the surrounding area, waterlogged pastures overflow onto the road.
“Sensitive hydraulic context”
Liane, Hem, Aa, Canche, Lys, Laquette… most of the rivers in Pas-de-Calais and some in the Nord department have been classified as orange flood alert. Pas-de-Calais is also placed in orange for rain-flooding, just like six other departments in the west of the country. The disturbance crossing the north of France is accompanied by “continuous light to moderate but above all lasting rain” and occurs “in a sensitive hydrological context” notes Météo-France.
In November, nearly three weeks of flooding in Pas-de-Calais caused five minor injuries and significant damage, affecting thousands of homes, sometimes flooded several times a few days apart, but also farms, shops and businesses. “Residents are afraid of reliving the same scenario as two months ago,” summarizes Philippe Macrel, deputy mayor of Neuville-sous-Montreuil. By mid-morning, only one entrance to his village remained passable by car. “When we see the rise in water since yesterday (Monday), it’s impressive,” says the elected official, submerged almost to the top of his boots.
Over the entire episode, cumulative rainfall could reach “20 to 40 mm”, and very locally exceed 40 mm, according to Météo-France. Among the sectors affected by the highest accumulations, those in the interior of Pas-de-Calais already affected in November: Montreuillois, heights of Boulonnais and Artois.
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