Gard maintained on orange alert for rain-flooding, storms and floods, Ardèche in red: follow the evolution of the situation

The Gard is maintained on orange alert for rain-flooding, thunderstorms and floods this Thursday, October 17 after an update of the forecast at 4 p.m. The vigilance will be yellow for the day of Friday regarding the rain-flood and always orange for the floods.

Landslide at the entrance to Vigan

In Vigan, heavy rains caused a landslide and a mudslide at CD 999, at the entrance to the town. The area was secured by the interdepartmental roads directorate.

Rivers in flood under surveillance

They concern several rivers (Ardèche downstream, upstream, Cèze upstream, Gardons d’Alès and Anduze). Vidourle, Vistre, Cèze aval, Gardon aval are on yellow alert. The Rhône from Pont Saint-Esprit to Avignon, and from Avignon to the sea, took on the color orange during the day.

Faced with the rise of the Rhône, the Beaucaire town hall has decided to close the doors of the Banquette on Wednesday and to evacuate the parking lot around the arenas and the Casino. This Thursday, at 2:30 p.m., the Rhône level at the Beaucaire bridge is at 5.30 m (6.7 m during the flood of November 23, 2016). In Avignon, the river could exceed its 2016 flood level of 5.7 m this Thursday early in the evening.

In Pont Saint-Esprit, around a hundred residents had to be evacuated. The level of the Rhône has exceeded that of its flood on November 23, 2016 at 3 p.m. (7.88 m) and should reach eight meters and probably exceed it.

This Thursday morning, Ardèche and Haute-Loire were placed on red alert for rain-flooding and thunderstorms. On the Saint-Martin d’Ardèche side, there is talk of evacuating residents and the Ardèche is rising dangerously in the commune. It was this Thursday morning upstream of Vallon Pont d’Arc at 9.14 m, well above the 8.65 of the fall 2016 flood.

Around fifteen bridges closed

In Gard, the departmental council took stock this Thursday, at 4:30 p.m., on the state of the roads and closed submersible bridges.

Roads blocked: Beaucaire Fourques greenway, RD 278 low point at the Rastel bridge, RD 213) Fressac (landslide), RD 994 at the old Pont Saint-Esprit bridge.

Closed submersible bridges: Dions bridge (RD 22), Cassagnoles bridge in Vézénobres (RD 106), Gagnière bridge between Bessèges and Foussignargues (RD 51), the Carmignan footbridge in Bagnols-sur-Cèze (our video), the Drouilhèdes bridge in Bessèges (RD 386), the Cassagnoles bridge in Vézénobres (RD 106), bridge over the Rieutord in the hamlet of Villaret (RD 20C), that of Clapouzes in Chambon (RD 243A), Grand turning in Peyremale ( RD 386), fording the Vis at Vissec (RD 814), the bridge over the Vis between Alzon and Vissec (RD 814), Paussan at Mialet (RD 50B), that of Corbès (eastern access) on the RD 284 and the submersible bridge at Anduze (RD 129A), the Massies bridge at Thoiras (RD 284A), the submersible bridges of the RD187 at Rochegude and Rivières, low overflow point of the Cèze between Rivières and Rochegude (RD 16).

To follow the traffic situation, you must go to inforoute.

School transport suspended

The prefect of Gard, in consultation with the director of national education services, has decided to continue the suspension of school transport in a large part of northern Gard. 275 municipalities are concerned in the sectors of Aigoual, Viganais, Piedmont, Uzège, Gard rhodanien, Cèze Cévennes Nord, Alésien sector, Gardonnenque and Cévennes Sud.

The prefect invites parents to keep their children at home. If students come to schools in the areas concerned, a welcome will however be provided. For those who are boarders, parents must pick them up on Friday October 18. They will be contacted by middle and high schools.

Furthermore, there is no longer any rail traffic between Alès and Langogne until Friday October 18.

Accumulated precipitation of almost 650 mm!

For the weather forecast, the rains continue with intensities of 10 to 20 mm per hour in the Cévennes. Since the start of the episode, the accumulations have been between 250 and 300 mm along an axis from Alzon / Trier to Génolhac / Villefort with levels which sometimes reach 500 to 650 mm! At the end of the episode, we could have between 300 and 350 mm in places and up to 700 mm in part of Gard, Ardèche and Lozère.

The prefecture announces a new rain-storm deterioration at the end of the day with high intensities linked to the storms coming from Roussillon. For this day, the cumulative precipitation would be between 70 and 100 mm with a peak of an additional 160 mm. The situation could be calm this Thursday from 11 p.m. and the improvement more marked Friday morning.

The greatest caution is required on the roads, whether you are a pedestrian or a motorist. This Wednesday, a person was seen on a bridge as water began to pass over it!

A risk not to be taken obviously. The Gard prefecture reminds on social networks what not to do, namely crossing a closed submersible bridge.