“It’s not the Venice of Briard, it’s the nightmare of Briard. » This Thursday morning, Laurence, manager of the Cave de Crécy in Crécy-la-Chapelle (Seine-et-Marne) tried to hide behind a touch of humor her anxiety over the announcement of a probable flood of the Grand Morin . “I hope that I will escape the flood like the last times but it is not certain. »
By 3 p.m., his hopes of staying dry fell… Into the water. “It’s going up very quickly. The surrounding streets now have a few centimeters of water and are flooded. »
By 6 p.m., the streets near the city hall and the market square were flooded. Firefighters and police arrived in large numbers on site while a Civil Security helicopter passed over Crécy to fly over the Grand Morin. “The mayor of Pommeuse called me at 6 a.m. this morning to tell me Expect flooding this afternoon”confided this Thursday morning Christine Autenzio (SE), the mayor of Crécy-la-Chapelle. His colleague was not mistaken.
“Access to the city center is cut off,” confirmed the elected official before locking herself in to hold a crisis unit as part of the municipal protection plan launched on Wednesday.
“Here, we stand together”
David, who lives in a house opposite the town hall, watches the flow in the street, fatalistic. “My family has lived in Crécy for generations and generations,” he says. I remember that when I was little, someone came to pick me up in a boat. Here, what is tiring and tiring is the repetitive side. There have been several episodes this year. Each time, you have to start again with insurance, cleaning, etc. »
This night, he will not sleep at home but with relatives. “I raised everything I could even though I suspect that I risk having 60 cm of water in the house. But what can we do? »
Further on, at the corner of the Market Square, two men pulled out the canoe. A group of women chat despite the successive downpours. “I’m lucky, I live on the heights,” says Stéphanie. In fact, I came to offer my help to and support those who are flooded. I told them I could accommodate them, make them dinner or just come take a shower. Here, we are united. »
Sylvia, who runs a clothing store and tea room, appreciates: “It’s true that there is mutual help. I hoped for a long time that we would be spared but it failed.” Beside him, Magalie looks grim: “My massage practice is flooded. I’m disgusted.”
Around thirty firefighters on site
As the day prepares to fade, the city center resembles a hive where everyone is busy moving a vehicle, guiding lost residents or protecting their homes and businesses until the end before probably one night. difficult. “We welcome people into the room and they can be accommodated if necessary in the Eau vive primary school,” confided an employee. You can’t make it up.
“We mobilized around thirty firefighters with eight engines on the ground. At 7 p.m., we evacuated thirty people. We also accompanied people who came home from work to look for belongings, medicines or their animals at home,” explains Lieutenant-Colonel Fabrice Petit, head of the northern Seine-et-Marne territorial group.
As night fell, the city center was plunged into darkness due to a power outage depriving the few passers-by in boots of public lighting. “It’s critical, dramatic,” lamented Christine Autenzio, considering the general situation.
