The Chevreuse valley and the south of Yvelines under water, residents in complete disarray

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The overflowing river in the village of La Celle-les-Bordes, the road between Cernay-la-Ville and Rambouillet completely cut. Further south, near Ablis, in the hamlet of Gourville in Prunay and in the hamlet of Hunière in Sonchamp, houses flooded in a few minutes…

Everywhere, the same spectacle of desolation! Just one week after a similar episode, the elements were unleashed again in the Chevreuse valley and in the south of Yvelines, Thursday October 17, 2024. In the evening, returning home was akin to an expedition, since the major axes like the D906 were already closed between Cernay-la-Ville and Rambouillet.

Never seen before in Cernay-la-Ville

Firefighters were on alert all night in Cernay-la-Ville, nerve point, to manage security settings. THE stigmata floods were still clearly visible in the village, this Friday, October 18, 2024, where it was time for cleaning. Residents were on the bridge, helped by firefighters, for pumping operations.

“From Thursday evening, we set up a crisis unit in town hall. As we had had a first experience the previous week, each elected official knew what they had to do and we knew where the isolated people were to guide the firefighters so that they could help them,” declared Mayor Claire Chéret.

“For some residents, the psychological shock is significant. There were elderly people who wanted to stay at home, single women with children who had difficulty managing the situation…”

“The little ru du Rouillon has become a torrent”

The elected official, who had never seen this in the village, tries to find explanations for this unprecedented situation. “There is on the one hand the runoff waterlogged agricultural land, but also a raw phenomenon. The little Rouillon stream, which goes to a culvert and passes under the village, has become a torrent. The water therefore did not pass under the village, but in the village, following its natural course. »

Fatigue and dismay in the Chevreuse valley

In Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse and Chevreuse, while residents were barely recovering from flooding on the night of October 9 to 10, heavy rainfall once again caused damage. New sleepless nightalso, for elected officials, who have triggered emergency plans. “The water rose a little lower than last time, but several houses were flooded again,” confides the mayor of Chevreuse, Anne Héry Le Pallec.

Two floods in less than ten days cause fatigue and great distress among the victims. Considering the waterlogged lands, the upcoming autumn and winter rains will inevitably be a source of stress.

“We have already worked a lot on the flood risk, many things have been put in place. But here, it is the water tables that are full. And emptying groundwater, we don’t know how to do that…”

At present, all road axes have reopened. The Skin Dryer car park, the Petits-Ponts promenade and the Maison des associations are, however, closed.

In Saint-Rémy-lès-Chevreuse, fatigue and disappointment can be seen on the faces. The municipality, at the confluence of three rivershad been the hardest hit ten days ago. This Thursday, the water rose once again in the city center, but more slowly than last time. The Jean-Jaurès school was closed for the day.

“A house was sacrificed”

In La Celle-les-Bordeswhich saw the Aulne overflow into the streets at the bottom of the village, the situation is complicated with in particular power cuts following the flooding of an Enedis station.

“We saw a surge from all sides and the river has burst its banks,” explain the residents of the hamlet of La Celle, near the Aulne bridge.

“This village street is at the crossroads of different floods,” observed Mayor Serge Querard, this Friday, October 18, when he called on a dump truck equipped with an arm to collect the earth and gravel. carried both by runoff and the river. Near the river bridge, a wall collapsed under the violence of the flood and the waters submerged around ten nearby homes.

Cleaning operation

“Another house was sacrificed. The gates were opened as far as possible so that the water passed through and returned to the river,” says another local resident. “Second time in a week!” But in the village, we all came to help them clean up, there is at least solidarity », Says a resident while operating a watering can. “From now on, we raise the furniture under concrete blocks directly as soon as it rains,” confides a local resident.

“There was a very strong episode in 2016 and 2018,” recalls the mayor, in full discussion with the firefighters, the Rambouillet Territoires services and the Department agents on site, while the arm of the dump truck large tree branches come out of the river. “We should clean banks and networks», suggest residents.

A more violent episode in Prunay

In Prunay-en-Yvelines, in the hamlets of Gourville and Villiers-Landoue, the episode was even stronger than that of last week. Rue Noguette and rue des Vignes, the inhabitants are covered with mud and try, as best they can, to get rid of this same mud that squats in homes. For now, everyone is trying to save what they can, and sometimes not much.

“It was three times more violent than last week. We left the gates open to allow water to circulate. In thirty minutes, the water reaches one meter. »

“We have more than two meters of water in the cellarcontinues this resident. Our trailer was swept away. » The latter nestled several meters from its initial location, which suggests the force of the torrent.

« The power was cutaround 11/11:30 p.m. for security reasons. The meters were starting to burn,” she adds.

Philippe Cohen, Stéphanie Petit and Marie Vermeersch

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