This is a formality that can usually take much longer. A decree published this Friday, two weeks to the day after the passage of storm Aline, recognizes (already) the state of natural disaster in ten municipalities in the Tinée, Vésubie and Roya valleys*, announces the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture. This speed “demonstrates the desire of the State and the prefect to continue to be present for our valleys and to act as quickly as possible to allow the impacted municipalities and residents a return to normal life”, she supports. in a press release.
This status allows residents of the villages concerned to benefit from a special compensation scheme from their insurance companies. “The victims have 30 days from the publication of the decree to submit an estimate of the losses they have suffered,” state services point out.
The exasperation of the inhabitants of the valleys
Three years after the deadly storm Alex, which had already ravaged houses, roads and infrastructure, the new damage has reignited the exasperation of the villagers, eager to finish the reconstruction work. Singled out, the Nice Côte d’Azur metropolis cited, to justify certain slowness, “regulations” but also the investigation launched by the Nice public prosecutor’s office for suspicions of “embezzlement” on certain construction sites, which were stopped temporarily.
Deprived of certain credits promised by the State, the community, which is already “close to” the debt ceiling, has also decided to slow down the pace to put pressure at the highest level, according to a document revealed by Mediapart.
On October 25, the prefect of Alpes-Maritimes had already issued an order to remove certain administrative “blockages” to further speed up the work.
*The municipalities concerned are Belvédère, Bonson, Breil-sur-Roya, Isola, Massoins, Roquebillière, Saint-Martin-Vésubie, Utelle, Valdeblore and Venanson.