Pas-de-Calais is still placed on red flood alert this Tuesday, November 7 and the rising waters are expected to continue during the day while many municipalities are already flooded.
Pas-de-Calais has its feet in the water. Heavy flooding is still underway in the department already affected by rising rivers following the passage of storm Ciaran mid-last week. Red vigilance therefore remains active in the latest Météo France bulletin, published this Tuesday, November 7. The fault is partly due to the heavy rains which have fallen on the department in recent days.
Over the last few hours, “we noted the highest accumulations on the Liane with the highest on its southern part, 35 to 55 mm. The Hem Aa for its part recorded accumulations of around 20 to 35 mm of is to the west,” specifies the meteorological agency. If a small lull is in progress this morning, the showers continue and “the remaining accumulations are of the order of 5-10 mm with locally 15 mm” on the Liane and the Hem Aa. Moreover, in addition to flood vigilance, Pas-de-Calais and the North are on orange rain-flood vigilance at least until 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 as a new depression approaches from the southwest. Deux-Sèvres, Charente-Maritime, Charente, Gironde and Dordogne are affected by the alerts.
It is an “exceptional” flood which is underway in Pas-de-Calais, particularly at the coastal river Aa, noted Météo France in its weather bulletin from November 6. The phenomenon is favored by the bad weather which has been occurring for a week now, not to mention the rains which have been present for longer in the department, but also by the waterlogged soils which cannot absorb the overflowing water. As the tides are not favorable for the evacuation of water, the absorption of floods promises to be difficult. Around sixty municipalities are under water this Tuesday.
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. He invites residents of communities affected by floods to “not go out, go upstairs and wait for the rain to stop”. In the area, no transport runs anymore, neither bus, nor coach, nor TER. Schools and nurseries are also closed this Tuesday.