Homes and businesses had to be evacuated and roads remain closed in parts of southern France after heavy storms brought severe flooding and mudslides overnight June 8-9.
There were more than 100 fire brigade interventions, particularly in the towns of Eauze, Montr茅al, and Fourc猫s in Gers (Occitanie).
Homes and businesses were affected, including those in the central square of Fourc猫s, where the restaurant Auberge De Fourc猫s was completely flooded.
Forecaster M茅t茅o France said that more than 100 mm of rain fell in the north-west of the department between 21:00 and 02:00, causing severe damage in places, and leading to the rehoming of 33 people, of which nine people needed to be rescued.
鉀堬笍 Situation inqui茅tante dans le nord-ouest du Gers o霉 un orage stationne depuis 2h ! 脌 Eauze, Il est tomb茅 100 mm et la rivi猫re G茅lise a pris 2 m猫tres ! (漏 S茅verine Ramat-Doucet)
鈥� M茅t茅o Express (@MeteoExpress)
The G茅lise river, which runs through the area, reached a height of 3.35 m. This is higher than its last major flood, when the water level hit three metres in 1981.
Hier soir, un peu mobile a d茅vers茅 plus de 100 mm en 2h 脿 (Nord-ouest du ) faisant monter le niveau de la (habituellement petit cours d'eau) 脿 plus de 3m en 2h !! Graphique
鈥� Guillaume S茅chet (@Meteovilles)
Mayor of Eauze, Michel Gabas, said: 鈥淭he commune hasn't experienced this kind of event since the Klaus storm in 2009.鈥� He said he would be asking the government for the official recognition of a natural disaster (catastrophe naturelle). This unlocks specific insurance policy clauses.
Hier soir, un peu mobile a d茅vers茅 plus de 100 mm en 2h 脿 (Nord-ouest du ) faisant monter le niveau de la (habituellement petit cours d'eau) 脿 plus de 3m en 2h !! Graphique
鈥� Guillaume S茅chet (@Meteovilles)
"The local population is resilient, and we are all helping to clean up around houses and small paths,鈥� he added. 鈥淓veryone is pulling together. We hope to get through this episode quickly and efficiently, so that normal life can resume.鈥�
馃殥 Aux c么t茅s des sinistr茅s 脿 , le constat des intemp茅ries de la nuit est dur.
Avec pr猫s de 1m20 d'eau dans les habitations, 100mm de pluie localement, des coul茅es de boue et de nombreuses routes endommag茅es, le nord-ouest du n'a pas 茅t茅 茅pargn茅.
Je salue la鈥�
鈥� Philippe Dupouy (@PDupouy32)
Roads cut off
Roads have been affected, with six departmental roads cut off, and 10 severely damaged by mudslides and other debris.
Department chairman Philippe Dupouy has warned people to 鈥渆xercise the utmost caution鈥�, and said that 鈥渢he repairs will obviously take a number of days, if not weeks鈥�. He said: 鈥淚t is absolutely essential that road users in this heavily impacted sector take great care.鈥�
Between Montreal-du-Gers and 贵辞耻谤肠猫蝉: RD 29 closed due to landslides, mudslides and flooding
RD 15: Mudslides cutting off some traffic
脡补耻锄别: RD 43 disrupted by mudslides and largely closed
Castelnau-d'Auzan, Labarr猫re and Bretagne d'Armagnac: RD 264 closed due to mudslides
贵辞耻谤肠猫蝉: Overflowing river water causing disruption
