The Lot in flood at Salelles (archives)
Credit : @HG
A new Cévennes episode is expected and Météo France announces sustained rains and thunderstorms, particularly in the Cévennes. The departments of Gard and Lozère are on orange alert for thunderstorms, rain and flooding. The alert will be valid this Wednesday, October 16 from midnight. During the day on Wednesday, the expected rainfall totals are 100 to 150 mm on the relief of the Cévennes, “occasionally up to 250 mm on the Aigoual massif and Mont Lozère” according to Météo France. They will continue on Thursday with intense precipitation. And the ground is already well loaded with water following recent rains, which will encourage flooding.
Prepare a kit before the alert
The instruction, even before the rains and the rising waters, is to prepare a survival kit, and store it in an accessible and high place. This kit must contain 6 liters of drinking water per person, non-perishable food, a flashlight and a radio with spare batteries, a pocket knife, candles and the means to light them, a first-class medical kit first aid and medication, copies of identity papers, cash and warm clothing. The objective is to be able to remain isolated until help arrives in the event of an impassable road and network outage.
What should we do at the time of the alert?
In the event of heavy rain or rising water levels, the first thing to do is to stay sheltered, at home or in a building, on the upper floors. You should not take your car or leave on foot. Also, don’t put yourself in danger to pick up the children from school, they are safe there. Of course, you should not go into cellars or underground garages and stay away from waterways. The authorities also recommend favoring SMS to leave the networks available for emergency services.
France
