This Monday, January 10, two departments in the southwest were kept on “flood” red vigilance because of the intense rains. Eight other departments remained on orange alert.
In detail, the Landes and the Pyrénées-Atlantiques are classified “red”, a level which calls for absolute vigilance. Lot-et-Garonne, Tarn-et-Garonne, Gers, Haute-Garonne, Ariège and Pyrénées-Orientales and much further north, Aisne are classified as “orange”. Note that the Principality of Andorra is also affected by the alert.
2 deposits in #vigilanceRed
8 deposits and Andorra in #vigilanceOrange
Stay informed on https://t.co/rJ24zzmmy4 pic.twitter.com/we5wBNQiB5
– VigiMeteoFrance (@VigiMeteoFrance) January 10, 2022
In its latest bulletin, Météo France notes that “the rains are continuing but they will quickly decrease in intensity”. However, “the immediate consequences of this rainy episode can be very significant”. The meteorological institute says it fears “for several hours” of flooding, “even landslides or mudslides”.
In many municipalities, the rivers are already overflowing. This is particularly the case in Oloron) Saint-Marie where the flood level of the Gave d’Oloron, should reach in the coming hours between 4.75 m and 5.10 m, close to the historical levels of June of 2018 where the the water had reached 5.27m.