Flooding in Brittany

[Blaze]

The excessive rain has caused huge flooding in Rennes, Redon and in the countryside where some of the rivers have more than overflowed. About 20 communes have been declared "catastrophe naturelle" which should ease insurance. Over 600 people have been evacuated and police are patrolling to try to cut down the number of looters and thefts.

The SNSM have been helping evacuate people and animals as we have the boats and equipment to do so. OH and I have volunteered to go to clean up in Redon next week (the water level hasn't gone down enough to go earlier) so will wait to be called out. At least there is no rain forecast for the next few days ....

[L Austin France]

The excessive rain has caused huge flooding in Rennes, Redon and in the countryside where some of the rivers have more than overflowed. About 20 communes have been declared "catastrophe naturelle" which should ease insurance. Over 600 people have been evacuated and police are patrolling to try to cut down the number of looters and thefts.

The SNSM have been helping evacuate people and animals as we have the boats and equipment to do so. OH and I have volunteered to go to clean up in Redon next week (the water level hasn't gone down enough to go earlier) so will wait to be called out. At least there is no rain forecast for the next few days ....

How's the SPA & animals?
Seem to remember it was on a bit of highish ground.
We found our Jessie there.

[MAD87]

Time perhaps to consult the Dutch about dealing with floods. This is likely to be an annual disaster.

[Blaze]

How's the SPA & animals?

I've seen no mention of problems at the SPA. The army came in to help move some cattle and neighbours have been helping each other. A lot of farm buildings have been flooded and forage has been ruined.

Redon has always been "just somewhere you pass through on the train" so I don't know it at all. But with the Vilaine river and the Ille et Rance canal bursting their banks, businesses have been it as well as houses. Most trains seem to be running again but not yet between Rennes and Redon.

Some interesting before/after photos here :
https://www.francebleu.fr/infos/meteo/a ... on-5866000

[Blaze]

Time perhaps to consult the Dutch about dealing with floods. This is likely to be an annual disaster.

A lot of building has been done in zones that are totally unsuitable : no doubt land between the river and the canal was cheap and someone took a backhander ....
Do you remember La Faute sur Mer ? Another example of conniving between developers and the Mairie where warnings about flooding from the sea were ignored.

There have been suggestions of building on stilts, and using basement or ground floor levels as free flood parking. But there's a lot of original sin to deal with and finding ways of dealing with excess water in areas where the ground is saturated will not be easy.

It could be useful if someone could come up with a way of channelling the flood water to areas suffering from drought, such as the Pyrenees ......

[Blaze]

We've been stood down, there's enough manpower locally which is good.

[exile]

There have been suggestions of building on stilts, and using basement or ground floor levels as free flood parking. But there's a lot of original sin to deal with and finding ways of dealing with excess water in areas where the ground is saturated will not be easy.

It could be useful if someone could come up with a way of channelling the flood water to areas suffering from drought, such as the Pyrenees ......

On my route to Lyon, there is a hectare or so of very low lying ground close to the Rhone, where they have done precisely that with 2 buildings.

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.3189078 ... FQAw%3D%3D