The elements were unleashed in the Alpes-Maritimes this Monday, June 24, in particular in the town of Saint-Martin-Vésubie, affected by violent bad weather.
Is history repeating itself? Four years after being hit by storm Alex, the Boréon region, in the Alpes-Maritimes, was once again hit by severe bad weather this Monday, June 24, with strong floods washing away bridges in the Vésubie valley.
“Bridges have been washed away, several homes evacuated. The authorities and emergency services are fully mobilized,” indicated Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin on.
“None of the bridges are threatened, two ford crossings have been washed away,” Gaël Nofri, deputy mayor of Nice, wrote on the social network.
52 people evacuated
“Everything is being destroyed, we are suffering the loss of roads once again,” lamented, “at the end of his nerves,” Thierry Ingigliardi, deputy mayor of Saint-Martin-Vésubie in charge of construction works. this commune of 1,400 souls. As a precaution, 52 people, including four children, were evacuated to a community hall.
But the damage is there: the Boréon road is under the waves. The districts of Haut Boréon are in difficulty and some residents are isolated. The Maïssa bridge was saved before it was completely covered.
“Support for the inhabitants of my village of Saint-Martin-Vésubie once again affected by severe bad weather”, writes on X the deputy of the department, Éric Ciotti.
This is not the first time that the village has been the victim of severe bad weather. A real disaster occurred in October 2020 during the passage of storm Alex, which cut the town off from the world. Several people had been killed and significant damage had been caused: trees, roads, houses… landslides and the flooding of the river had swept away everything.
Again in 2023: tracks were cut again in the town after rainfall.
To combat these floods, work has been undertaken for several years. “People are starting to get fed up,” nevertheless breathes Thierry Ingigliardi, who points to “poorly done” work.