“It’s unfortunate to see these animals trapped”, cows swept away by a river in Haute-Loire

Severe bad weather affects Haute-Loire this Thursday, October 17. Rivers burst their banks, causing floods. A witness filmed cows being carried away by the current in Chambon-sur-Lignon.

Since this Thursday morning, October 17, Haute-Loire has been placed on red “flood” alert by Météo France. The department is affected by a Cévennes episode with intense rains. In Chambon-sur-Lignon, a witness was able to film cows trapped by the Lignon current.

Christophe Gibert says: “I was leaving for work this morning, around 8:30 a.m., and I went to see the level of Lignon. I realized that cows had been taken away. I saw two but learned that 5 had suffered the same fate. It’s unfortunate to see these animals trapped. This place floods frequently but at this level it hasn’t happened in a long time. It’s been a long time since I’ve experienced such high levels.”.

According to Keraunos, the French observatory for tornadoes and storms,In Chambon-sur-Lignon, the Lignon has reached a flow rate close to 500 m3/s, i.e. a remarkable return period of more than 50 years.

Haut-Allier reaches exceptional levels between Lozère and Haute-Loire. In Langogne, a peak at nearly 6.20 m was observed suddenly.

Jean-Michel Eyraud, mayor of Chambon-sur-Lignon, explains, in the middle of a crisis unit at 3 p.m.: “We are currently in a declining situation. The water has fallen by almost 2 meters compared to the peak and for the moment the forecast is that a 3rd wave would be expected for this evening with a new peak around 2:30 a.m. I hope it will be less important but I have no information. The rain gauge indicates 124 millimeters fell from 00:00 to 12:00. This is very important. We have risen above 6 meters, which means that we have exceeded the 100-year floods. There is damage. A bridge was swept away. We have implemented workarounds. There are many bridges that are closed to traffic for fear that some might collapse. Some bridges are overwhelmed by water.”

He talks about the mobilization of relief: “We have teams of specialized firefighters who are visiting cars that have been swept away to check that there are no bodies inside. A priori, there was no one in the cars that were taken away. There is no concern for the moment, simply a check carried out by the fire services. Several cars were taken away, some were able to be recovered. But two were carried far away, and were spotted by drone between Chambon and Tence, in the Lignon gorges”. The mayor insists: “It is always a major shock for a municipality to have such disasters. Such a flood was unexpected. Residents are advised to stay at home and not try to visit the area. We are crowded with curious people who want to take photos and do not hesitate to approach the waterways.”

In Haute-Loire, to deal with bad weather, the SDIS called on volunteer firefighters in the sectors concerned.

Still in Chambon-sur-Lignon, another videographer was able to film cars being swept away by the river.

Cyril Treveys explains: “I approached Lignon because I am passionate about the weather. I followed the accumulations closely and I saw that we were going to beat the records of the year 2000. We are almost at 6 meters while the record was 3.4 meters in 2008. Between two downpours, I saw cars crossing the Lignon. I didn’t think there could be anyone in there. I checked my photos and videos: I think there was no one on board. It was parked cars that were swept away. I also saw trees uprooted”. He adds: “The throughput is very impressive. I’m 35 years old and I’ve never experienced this. You have to go back to the 1980s to see such floods. On the roads, traffic is very delicate. Because of the accumulation of water, it was sometimes necessary to divert”.

Cyril Treveys also filmed trees being carried away by the current.

In the Haute-Loire department, 80 firefighters are engaged, with reinforcements from the Var.