400 French communes declared natural disaster zones after October floods
Property owners have 30 days to make insurance claim
The fierce flooding in October affected many areas of the country. Photo for illustrative purposes only
Marc Bruxelle / Shutterstock
Communes across 11 departments have been declared as natural disaster (catastrophe naturelle) zones following intense flooding during October’s storms.
It allows property owners in the given communes to file insurance claims, if their homes were impacted by the flooding.
The full list of nearly 400 communes was published in the Journal Officiel today (November 5).
You can find the list here – it covers communes in the Alpes-Maritimes, Ardèche, Corrèze, Eure-et-Loire, Loire, Haute-Loire, Loire-Atlantique, Lozère, Rhône, Yvelines and Essonne departments.
If you believe your commune is on the list, you can search for it by pressing ‘ctrl’ + ‘f’ on your keyboard after opening the page and typing in its name.
Affected owners have 30 days to file a claim with their insurer, providing proof of the damage.
It is recommended to begin your claim by sending a lettre recommandée avec accusé de réception (registered letter with acknowledgement of receipt).
You should receive compensation within three months of making the claim.
Read more: France’s ‘catastrophe naturelle’ insurance system: how to claim
An increase in natural disasters such as flooding and droughts in the coming years is set to see the number of insurance claims for damage from weather-related events increase.
In turn, this is causing insurance premiums to rise, including in 2025.
Read more: Why home insurance costs are expected to rise in France next year
