Rain and floods: Haute-Savoie on red alert, significant floods announced in Savoie

Haute-Savoie was placed, just like Pas-de-Calais, on red alert for floods on Tuesday and Wednesday by Météo-France due to the expected accumulation of precipitation. In addition to Haute-Savoie, the neighboring department of Savoie is on orange flood alert. Météo-France expects in these two departments a “serious episode in a period of significant mild weather”. “The cumulative precipitation forecast during this episode corresponds to the monthly quantities of precipitation usually observed,” specifies Météo France. France Bleu Pays de Savoie takes stock of the situation.

Haute-Savoie on red alert

Météo France has placed the Median Arve (Chamonix, Sallanches, Passy) on red alert for floods. HAS Chamonixat 8 p.m., the level of the Arve reached 2.06 meters, according to the Vigicrues website.

Savoie: which municipalities affected by the floods?

The prefecture of Savoie published on Tuesday evening the list of municipalities concerned by orange flood vigilance, and where overflows are expected during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. Tuesday evening, Vigicrues alerts on certain portions of rivers in Savoie and Haute-Savoie. The monitoring organization has placed Arve on red alert. Isère and Giffre are placed on orange alert.

Haut Rhône section upstream of Guiers: La Balme, Champagneux, Chanaz, Chindrieux, Conjux, Jongieux, Lucey, Motz, Ruffieux, Saint-Genix-les-Villages, Serrières-en-Chautagne, Vions, Yenne

Middle Isère section: Arbin, Bourgneuf, Chamousset, Châteauneuf, La Chavanne, Coise-Saint-Jean-Pied Gauthier, Cruet, Francin, Laissaud, Les Marches, Montmélian, Planaise, Saint-Hélène du-Lac, Saint-Jean-de-la-Porte, Saint-Pierre-d’Albigny

Isère section in Haute-Combe de Savoie: Aiton, Albertville, Chamousset, Fréterive, Frontenex, Gilly-sur-Isère, Grésy-sur-Isère, Grignon, Montailleur, Monthion, Notre-Dame des-Millières, Sainte-Hélène sur-Isère, Saint-Vital Tournon

Isère Basse-Tarentaise section: Aigueblanche, Albertville, La Bâthie, Le Bois, Cevins, Essert-Blay, Moutiers, La Léchère, Rognaix, Saint-Paul-sur-Isère, Salins-les-Thermes, Tours-en-Savoie

Tignes and Val d’Isère accessible again

At the start of the evening, in Savoie, access to Val d’Isère/Tignes from Bourg-Saint-Maurice was cut off for 1h30 following a landslide on the RD 902 near the Pigettes avalanche barrier. “The road is still partly flooded, but traffic has been able to resume”, we were told at 8 p.m. In Haute-Savoie, in Châtel, the RD 230 and 228A, flooded, was closed in both directions. The A40 interchange ramp at Cluses (direction Italy) has been cut.

Campsite evacuated in Sallanches

In Haute-Savoie, a campsite was evacuated in Sallanches, on the banks of the Arve at the end of the afternoon. Around fifty people, including seasonal workers, who were on this campsite found accommodation solutions on their own. Furthermore, at the end of the afternoon, the firefighters were carrying out four reconnaissance operations along the Giffre and the Arvein anticipation of possible overflows or landslides.

HAS Vallorcine (Haute-Savoie), the RD 1506 was closed to traffic this Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. at Pont-Maria, where the L’Eau noire river burst its banks. Same situation at Reignier-Esery (Haute-Savoie), place called Les Echelettes, where the RD 202 was closed for overflowing.

Significant floods to come in Savoie

In Savoie, significant flooding is expected late in the evening and during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. “In Haute-Combe de Savoie, between Albertville and Aiton, the peak of the flood is expected between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday. For middle Isère, between Chamousset and Laissaud, the peak is expected between midnight and 6 a.m. during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday”, indicates the prefecture of Savoie in a press release.

According to François Ravier, prefect of Savoy, roads will be flooded during the night from Tuesday to Wednesday, relief routes will be put in place.

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2.70 meters in Montmélian Tuesday afternoon

Tuesday afternoon, in Savoie, the Isère river continued to flood, with a height of 2.70 meters recorded at 5 p.m. in Montmelian, according to the vigicrues website. The situation is under close surveillance throughout Combe de Savoie and Arly, where overflows are feared. At the end of the afternoon, the level of the Arly was at 2.30 meters in Ugine.

In Haute-Savoie, it is the Arve valley which is closely scrutinized. We noted 2.50 meters at 4:30 p.m. in Bonneville. In the 74, firefighters carried out some interventions for flooded cellars in Megève, Chamonix and Samoëns. In Annecy, the Pâquier always had his feet in the waterand the Thiou canal, a rapid flow.

Landslides

In Savoie, a landslide “over 15 to 20 meters” took place during the night of Monday to Tuesday at 3 a.m. towards the Col des Saisies, at the level of the last plan on the RD 218B. The road is closed until next weekend.

Another landslide also occurred around 10:30 a.m. Tignes, in the rise of the downstream damtowards the Brévières tunnel, on the RD 902, at an area “where there are protective nets”. A traffic alternation has been put in place.

Call for caution

Due to the risk of significant overflows in the coming hours, the authorities invite you to exercise the greatest caution:

• Stay informed of the situation and follow the evolution on: www.vigicrues.gouv.fr
• As far as possible, limit your travel at the bare minimum
• If you have to hit the road, limit your speed and respect the signs in force. A submerged or closed route must not be used
• Be careful if you are located near a watercourse or from a low point, reach a high point
• Avoid going down into basementsgarages, parking lots or cellars