A month ago, Burgundy suffered the most significant floods in its history.
In total, 55 municipalities have been recognized as being in a state of natural disaster.
A 20H team from TF1 met with traders and craftsmen who have finally returned to work.
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Storms, exceptional floods, floods… France faces a series of bad weather
Behind their machines, employees smile again. The factory finally restarts. On April 2, 2024, in Montbard (Burgundy), the water rose up to 40 centimeters, drowning the machines and flooding the warehouses. More than 500 mattresses have to be thrown in the trash. The damage bill is colossal: “almost 600,000 euros”says the manager of the “Passion bedding” factory, Jean-Pierre Royer.
It is certain that insurance will not cover everything.
Catherine Sadon, mayor (SE) of Semur-en-Auxois (Burgundy)
In his workshop, Maël Le Goff, electrician, lost 20,000 euros. His tools, not insured, were immersed in water for several days. “We cleaned all the boxes, one by one, with a brush, to be able to recover as much as possible”, he says. A month of working day and night, his father even came out of retirement to help him. “Always cleaning the ruined equipment, cleaning everything, some evenings we were disgusted,” he reports.
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In Semur-en-Auxois, a bridge was weakened by the flood. And there’s more serious: part of the parapet bordering a road was washed away by water. The road has been closed as a precaution and repairs are urgent. If the town hall does not yet know the amount of damage, it already knows that it will not be able to cover it alone. “The insurance companies have been contacted, the expert has come and we have not yet received their feedback. It is certain that the insurance will not cover everything,” explains in the TF1 20H report at the top of this article, Catherine Sadon, mayor (SE) of the town. Several towns in Côte-d’Or will request emergency aid. In the department, 55 of them are recognized as being in a state of natural disaster.
