On the night of November 1 to 2, 2023, storm Ciaran hit the Manche department. One year later, state services continue to support communities, operators and businesses affected by this major meteorological event.
Nearly 14,000 calls
For the first time, the Manche population was warned of the passage of this storm with the use of the FR-Alert system, an information message broadcast on mobile phones. A departmental operational center was set up for more than five days. The public information unit received 1,120 calls. The Manche firefighters received reinforcements from the Departmental Fire and Rescue Services (Sdis) of Center-Val de Loire and military training from civil security.
In total, 4,985 interventions were recorded in the first 72 hours. 13,455 requests for assistance were recorded. For its part, the gendarmerie mobilized 646 soldiers and carried out 35 interventions directly linked to the storm. 1,352 calls were made to the gendarmerie, compared to 505 in normal periods.
936,226 euros in aid to communities
Among the infrastructures most affected by Ciaran are public facilities. In Côtes d'Armor, Finistère and Manche, the three most affected departments, an exceptional support fund has been deployed to help communities deal with damage not covered by insurance. In the Channel, this fund amounts to 936,226.50 euros. This financial support made it possible to accelerate the repair of critical infrastructure.
Six aid schemes for farmers and businesses
This aid aims to stabilize cash flow and compensate for significant losses and damage in sectors such as arboriculture, mussel farming and open-air farming.
- two million euros under the emergency cash flow fund, which makes it possible to grant cash flow aid in a lump sum amount of 10,000 euros to eligible farms
- compensation schemes for agricultural disasters made it possible to cover losses of funds, including the destruction of fruit trees and losses in shellfish farming. In Gouville-sur-Mer, a shellfish farmer received aid of 42,535.20 euros within seven months after suffering damage to his mussels and oysters
- aid for the reconstitution of production tools: a market gardener from Quettreville-sur-Sienne was able to receive 13,732.74 euros within eight months as part of the FranceAgrimer investment for the damage to his greenhouses
- 2,338,645 euros paid to 156 farms as national solidarity compensation for crop losses
- 4,491,390 euros in automatic property tax relief on undeveloped properties, due to crop losses suffered by farmers, caused by the storm but also by excess rain during the year
- 39 companies were supported by the departmental advisor for companies in difficulty, within the framework of outsourced services
Manche Prefecture
42 companies in partial activity
State services supported the deployment of partial activity to help affected businesses overcome the crisis. The prefecture indicates that “this system made it possible to prevent economic layoffs in a context of difficulty” : since the storm, 56 companies in the Channel have requested partial activity, and 42 of them have seen their request validated. Measures which concern:
- 622 employees impacted
- 10,442 hours of partial activity recorded
- five companies specifically affected by direct losses from the storm
54,968.01 euros were paid by the Payments Service Agency to eligible businesses.
72 hours
Faced with the multiplication of climatic events of this type, the Manche prefecture reminds that “prevention remains central”. It involves equipment such as generators in sensitive establishments, awareness campaigns aimed at citizens to disseminate good practices or even the carrying out of full-scale exercises. The authorities also encourage the Manchois to put together 72-hour emergency kits: this emergency bag must contain the essentials to live independently for three days, the time necessary for emergency services to intervene. It contains, among other things: a battery-powered radio to follow instructions, a first aid kit, warm clothes, water and non-perishable food.
