La Seille got out of bed this Saturday morning and invaded the city center
from Louhans-Châteaurenaud, in Saône-et-Loire, after the river crossed a floating dam, without causing the evacuation of populations, announced the town hall.
“A dike broke, the water went over, and about thirty centimeters of water infiltrated the city via an underground level crossing,” said Jacques Moujenot, first deputy mayor. “The city is cut in half with 30 to 40 centimeters in places,” he adds.
The population invited to stay at home
“We were on alert since the level had exceeded 2.40 meters and a floating dike of 30 centimeters had been installed nearby in prevention”, explained Jacques Moujenot. This was exceeded by the flow of the river this Saturday morning.
Only the roofs of several vehicles parked nearby protruded above the water level, one photographer noted. In town, the water mainly infiltrated into the cellars and reached the ground floor of some homes in this town of some 6,300 inhabitants of Bresse. “We ask the population to stay at home to avoid traffic disorders to manage”, explained the mayor, Frédéric Bouchet.
The flood peak expected in the middle of the afternoon
135 firefighters are mobilized, in particular the nautical brigades, in anticipation of possible evacuations of the population. None had taken place at midday, according to the town hall. Municipal halls have been opened to accommodate possible disaster-stricken residents. 28 gendarmes are also present to filter access to the city. Traffic on the Louhans bridges has been cut off.
“The flood peak is expected in the middle of the afternoon. The Seille should then reach 3.44m, thus approaching the red alert level set at 3.50m, ”said the prefecture of Saône-et-Loire in a press release at midday. From 8 o’clock this Saturday morning, a municipal safeguard plan had been put in place. The authorities remind residents of the need to cut off electricity and gas to avoid electrocutions or explosions.