how to explain the violence of the mudslide

Continue to clear the mud. The task is exhausting for the firefighters mobilized on Thursday May 2. Downpours fell on the town of Courmelles (Aisne) during the night. The rains reached peak intensity between midnight and 1 a.m. They lasted for more than three hours, under the eyes of panicked residents. Very quickly, the water flow carried soil in its path. “The waterfalls were very strong, I saw the water rising over the sidewalks“, explains a resident.

The commune of Courmelles is located in a valley surrounded by plateaus. Whenever there is bad weather, the village is often exposed. “There was already a problem last year”, recalls a local resident. Authorities are now seeking to determine the precise starting point of the disaster.