The Cévennes episode has affected the Gard since Wednesday October 16 and the forecasts for Thursday are not optimistic. The list of rivers in flood, which have already reacted to the rains, is expected to grow. This leads to disruptions, particularly in terms of school transport, which is partly suspended.
Since this Wednesday, October 16 afternoon, the Gard has been placed on orange alert (for the fourth time since the start of the September school year) by Météo France for rain-flooding, storms and floods, particularly for the rivers of the Gardon d ‘Alès, that of Anduze and for the Cèze upstream.
The Gardon aval, the Cèze upstream, downstream, the Vistre, the Vidourle and the Ardèche downstream, in yellow yesterday evening, could take on a more orange hue in the coming hours.
Indeed, the prefecture mentioned yesterday evening cumulative precipitation for Thursday of the order of 40 to 50 millimeters, locally 80 mm, as well as 100 to 120 mm over the Cévennes massif with heavy rain from this afternoon.
Accumulations of rain
up to 400 to 500 mm
Which will not help the situation because a good part of the Gard, particularly in the west and in the north, has been heavily rained in recent hours. Thus, Météo France announces accumulations which have exceeded 80 to 100 mm in the west of the Cévennes, up to 180 or even 300 mm in the Valleraugue and Aigoual sectors.
Until this Thursday evening, occasionally, we could reach 400 to 500 mm in places on the Cévennes axis.
Bridges closed, rail traffic disrupted
Inforoute 30
This disrupted weather led to the closure of around ten bridges in the department. The departmental council drew up a list yesterday before 5 p.m.: the Anduze footbridge on the RD 129A, the Massies bridge in Thoiras on the RD 284A, the Corbès bridge (eastern access) on the RD 284, Paussan in Mialet on the RD50B, bridge over the Rieutord at the hamlet of Villaret (RD 20C), that of Clapouzes at Chambon (RD 243A), Grand turning at Peyremale (RD 386), fording over the Vis at Vissac (RD 814), the bridge between Alzon and Vissec (RD 814), the submersible bridges of the RD187 in Rochegude and Rivières.
As a precaution, the Chamborigaud bridge was also closed to traffic from Tuesday evening, 8:30 p.m., as well as the RD 278 at the Rastel bridge.
The Department announced this Wednesday evening that no reopening of these bridges was planned, the list may be updated depending on the precipitation totals recorded overnight.
The disruptions did not only concern the roads since rail traffic was also impacted. Train traffic was interrupted as a precaution between Alès and Langogne this Wednesday and until Friday October 18, 8 a.m.
The TER train leaving Nîmes at 9:37 a.m. has been canceled as well as the TER from Clermont-Ferrand to Nîmes via Langogne. Caution will also be required on the line this Thursday between the Gard sub-prefecture and Nîmes.
300 firefighters mobilized
This situation also required the greatest vigilance from the emergency services and in particular from the Gard firefighters. “There is an increase in the number of firefighters from 200 to 300 to reinforce several Gard barracks”indicated Lieutenant-Colonel Éric Agrinier.
The flood group was mobilized with, from 10 a.m., forces prepositioned at the Alès rescue center with swift water rescuers ready to intervene in this well-watered part of the department. A device that can evolve depending on the weather forecast.
School transport suspended
in part
The other consequence of this bad weather is the decision of the prefect of Gard Jérôme Bonet, in agreement with the departmental director of national education services Christophe Mauny, to suspend school transport for the day of Thursday, October 16.
The areas concerned are as follows: Aigoual, Viganais, Piedmont, Uzège, Gard rhodanien, Cèze Cévennes Nord, Alésien sector, Gardonnenque and Cévennes Sud.
Students from 275 municipalities will therefore not be able to use public transport to get to establishments.
Faced with the weather forecast for this Thursday and the measures taken, the Gard prefecture recalls the greatest caution and good gestures: limit travel, do not engage on a submerged traffic lane or on a submersible bridge.
