Floods in the south-east of France: One department remains on high alert

Many departments in the south of France are still at risk of floods - and one at high risk - even as the rain subsides in most areas. 

The heavy rainstorm, or épisode cévenol, that hit the south on Friday (October 25) saw the French weather service put Gard, Alpes-Maritimes and Var on high (orange) alert for storms and flooding.

That alert has now been raised as the rain subsides, with only the Var remaining on orange alert on Sunday morning (October 27).

A total of 15 departments - including Gard and Alpes Maritimes - remain on (yellow) alert due to the risk of local flooding.

‘Moderate rainfall’ in the Gard

The épisode cévenol, which are typically characterised by lingering downpours that bring flooding to the valleys of the Cévennes, caused no major damage in the Gard.

“There was continuous rain overnight over the crescent of the Cévennes,” announced the Gard prefecture on Saturday (October 26). “Moderate rainfall totals were measured throughout the area, from the Hérault to the Ardèche via the Lozère. There are also areas with more intense rainfall, mainly around Mont Aigoual and Le Vigan.”

The Gard prefecture added that the emergency services had not been required to make any major interventions due to the rain or flooding.

Nonetheless, many local roads had to be closed.

Up to a month of rain in an hour 

The emergency services were far busier in Var, where they received more than 800 calls and carried out more than 80 rescue or safety missions on Saturday, according to the Var prefecture.

More than 600 firefighters were deployed throughout the département, with 280 of them tasked with dealing with the floods. 

The worst affected areas were around the bay of Saint Tropez, which briefly turned into Venice on Saturday evening.

Up to 119mm of precipitation fell within one hour on the town of Vidauban, Var, which Météo France called a “record for the department.”

The rain caused flooding in several areas of the commune, including the canal du Moulin, where many homeowners were wading through mud on Saturday morning.

The Var prefecture warned locals that several water courses were liable to flood, and that people should not attempt to drive on flooded roads.

Alpes-Maritimes was not subjected to the same intensity of rain, however the prefecture warned people to be careful near water courses or by the sea, where waves of up to 1.5m were expected.

“The Prefect of Alpes-Maritimes is urging everyone to exercise caution, particularly when travelling on roads that may be suddenly flooded,” announced the prefecture.

“Caution is also advised on roads in the middle and upper regions, which are prone to landslides. Extreme vigilance is also advised in the vicinity of watercourses.”

People in affected areas can check the status of local water courses by visiting Météo France’s Crues Flash website, here, which monitors floods.

Return of sunshine

The rain is forecast to subside in the next few days, with clear skies and sunshine returning to most of France by Tuesday.