New overflows threatened Pas-de-Calais, kept on Monday by Météo-France on orange flood alert, and where new rains expected for Tuesday could affect soils still sensitive after the devastating floods of November.
While Pas-de-Calais experienced a new episode of rain between Sunday and New Year’s Eve, a new disturbance arriving from the west is expected Monday from the end of the day, according to Météo-France.
“Worsening of vigilance” to come?
For Tuesday, Météo-France forecasts an episode of “continuous and lasting rain, apart from a temporary calm at the end of the night and early morning” and accumulations which could reach “20 to 40 mm” or locally exceed 40 mm, particularly in Montreuillois. and Boulonnais, sectors previously affected.
“This precipitation could subsequently lead to a worsening of vigilance,” indicates Météo-France, which did not rule out a change to red for the department, in its bulletin at 10:00 a.m.
No homes flooded yet
Despite the accumulations of the last 24 hours which were expected to reach between 20 and 40 mm, and while the water began to rise, no homes were flooded on Monday morning, according to a consolidated report from the prefecture which recalled the “sensitive hydrological context » in which these precipitations occur.
According to the prefecture, since Sunday 10:00 a.m. “around forty interventions have been carried out by Sdis”, the departmental fire and rescue service, mainly reconnaissance visits, but “no evacuations”. “The most sensitive sector at the moment is Aa,” indicates the prefecture.
“Communities still have their feet in the water, it is linked to the events of November” and Sunday’s precipitation “did not aggravate the situation”, indicated Sunday evening the Sdis 62 penalty to AFP.
Some injured
According to Sdis, vigilance was focused on the municipalities along the Canche and the Hem, near Montreuillois and Saint-Omer. The firefighters particularly highlighted the concerns of the residents, in particular “those who had managed to remove the water from their homes, this is completely understandable”.
The record floods of recent weeks have caused five minor injuries in the department since November 6, and very significant material damage. They affected nearly 6,000 homes, 160 businesses, 130 businesses and at least 50 farms, according to the latest figures from the prefecture.
As of November 13, 128 municipalities in Pas-de-Calais (84) and Nord (44) were recognized as being in a state of natural disaster, according to the prefectures of the two departments.