From November 2023 to February 2024, Pas-de-Calais was hit by historic floods, occurring at too regular intervals to allow the victims to bounce back. Houses swept away, waterlogged soils, overwhelmed insurance companies, impassable fields, mega-pumps, cleaning… Exceptional floods which are celebrating their sad first anniversary.
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Storm Ciaran took everything away. But the so-called “explosive” depression of October 28, 2023 was only the beginning of a rainy winter, punctuated by repeated storms which left no respite for the inhabitants of Hauts-de-France. Particularly in Pas-de-Calais, an area traditionally marked by flooding.
But the floods that occurred last winter between November 2023 and January 2024 were nothing usual. These floods were traumatic, historic and long. Groundwater and soils saturated with water after weeks of rain were unable to absorb the river floods. Aa, Liane, Canche… Rivers which now make those affected by the floods at the end of last year shudder.
For more than three months, exceptional images, due to their distress or the strength of solidarity that emanates from them, were able to be captured by our teams on the ground. A year later, a look back at these floods, which residents hope to never have to face again.
► Also read: MAP. One year after the floods, where is the work carried out in Pas-de-Calais?
Sand, stones and tarpaulins
In Delettes, residents quickly barricaded themselves using sandbags and cofferdams
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© Martin Vanlaton / FTV
In the absence of personal dykes, the inhabitants of Blendecques, Arques and Saint-Etienne-au-Mont had prepared by creating “homemade” cofferdams. Dams made from sandbags, stones, wood, sometimes made available by the town hall, to prevent water from entering their homes.
The storms are raging
Storm Ciaran continues to cause damage this Thursday, November 2.
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© France Télévisions
Gusts of up to 120 km/h were recorded this Thursday after the passage of storm Louis.
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© DELPHINE GOLDSZTEJN / MAXPPP
Fences on a construction site collapsed in Valenciennes following a storm which just hit the area.
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© Bertrand Théry / FTV
A difficult awakening
Aerial view of flooding in Blendecques, January 2024.
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© FTV
Underwater, the department finally woke up to see the extent of the damage.
Place d'Arques under water after the floods of January 2024
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© Martin Vanlaton / FTV
Scoop, again
Throughout the floods, the victims saw their property destroyed multiple times, sometimes causing great trauma. Family books, furniture, jewelry, administrative documents… And an obsession, always: to save again and again, to save what can be saved.
Faced with rising water levels, Blendecquois residents are struggling to limit the damage to their homes
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© France Télévisions
The walls of Francis Delattre's house still bear the scars of this winter's floods.
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© M. Mohamad/FTV
Outside too, the gardens show after-effects linked to the passage of the storm.
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© Mathilde Baron and Laurent Navez
Boats on the road
During the floods, boats were deployed in the streets of Blendecques to help victims get out of their homes.
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© Sergio Rosenstrauch / FTV
To help victims get out of their homes, during evacuations, Pas-de-Calais firefighters armed themselves with boots and especially boats.
The water rose to hip height in Arques
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© Yann Fossurier / FTV
The elderly were the first to be evacuated by emergency services aboard these makeshift rafts.
In Arques, civil security carried out numerous evacuations. Residents leave their homes with the bare minimum, sometimes just a pair of slippers.
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© Yann Fossurier / FTV
Impassable roads
The trucks try to make their way as best they can
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© Martin Vanlaton / FTV
SNCF teams and local elected officials visited the rails damaged by floods in November 2023 for the first observations.
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© Florence Mabille / France Television
Following bad weather, an embankment collapsed preventing all train traffic on the Etaples/Boulogne-sur-Mer line.
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© TER Hauts-de-France
Part of departmental road 127 collapsed between Samer and Doudeauville, in Pas-de-Calais, Wednesday November 8, 2023.
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© Emmanuel Quinart / France Télévisions
Damage also to farmers
The cows of Olivier Merlot, breeder in Frencq, trapped by floods.
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© FTV
Impossible to harvest cabbages in the market gardening plot of Balinghem following the floods.
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© L. Carbajal / FTV
Ministerial visits
Christophe Béchu and Gabriel Attal went to Clairmarais to meet the victims
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© France Télévisions
The Minister of the Interior photographed with a resident of Saint-Etienne-au-Mont, Wednesday November 8, 2023.
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© Alice Rougerie / France Télévisions
Anger roars
Several hundred residents gathered in Blendecques this Saturday, January 13, 2024, to protest against the lack of emergency work following the floods.
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© France Télévisions. Laurent Navez
Lack of information, floods that could have been avoided, cleaning of stagnant waterways, poor housing… The victims of Pas-de-Calais have expressed their dissatisfaction following the floods.
Farmers from Pas-de-Calais mobilized in Audomarois and Calaisis to clean the canals this Friday, February 16, 2024.
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© FTV / Emmanuel Quinart
Particularly in Blendecques, where a collective was formed to never again experience such floods on the Aa, or among farmers, who have on several occasions organized cleanings, on their own initiative.
As for individuals, many had to undertake major work after the bad weather, or wanted to move. But problems with insurance or the value of the property quickly caught up with them.
