“It could have been worse!” » A year after the passage of storm Ciaran, which took away the roof of their pavilion, in Sainte-Sève, near Morlaix (29), Adrien and Anne-Gil Le Deunf are putting things into perspective. The accountant and the caregiver, aged 34 and 35 respectively, even found a smile again. “There were no injuries. And after seven months, everything was settled. Our insurance did what was necessary. We were able to return to our house in June. Just before summer. This is all behind us now. »
Well almost. Because this episode had a lasting impact on the family. Including the couple's two children: Maëlie, 4 years old, and Alba, one year old. “It was hard to get our bearings back,” explains Anne-Gil. We are facing due west. And, with each gust of wind, we get a little scared. The first night, I even had an anxiety attack. »
We didn't know how long it would last. We were told a year minimum. It ended up only lasting seven months. But it was the longest seven months of our lives.
“A gust of wind at 100 km/h would have been enough to make it take off”
There's something there. Because the night of November 1 to 2, 2023 was particularly exhausting for the family. The sound of gusts of wind, the enormous “boom” at 3 a.m., the arrival of the firefighters, the emergency evacuation to a neighbor’s house. Then the realization, once daybreak, of the extent of the damage. “The roof ended up in the middle of the subdivision. We took care of the most urgent situation by covering the house as best we could, starting on Thursday. Then we went to the insurer the next day. We were disoriented. But he guided us well. And we took priority over those who had only lost a fence or a shed,” rewinds the father. A specialist company completed the covering on the Monday following the storm. Then came the time for the assessments. Who concluded that the flat roof of this house, delivered in 2019, had simply been nailed to the frame. “There was no hold in the brick belt. I was told that a gust of wind at 100 km/h would have been enough to make it take off! », breathes Adrien.
But the Le Deunf couple let the insurance companies work things out between themselves, particularly regarding the ten-year guarantee. Their priority was to find rehousing.
A fallback solution close to home
Fortunately, solidarity was in full force. “The Télégramme article helped,” smiles Adrien. “There was also word of mouth,” adds Anne-Gil. And these proposals from people we didn’t know, via social networks: a house in Santec, a campervan…”.
The couple finally opted for a fallback solution in a rental. In Sainte-Sève. Stroke of luck. “We moved a kilometer as the crow flies from our house,” says the couple. Practical for school, nanny… And for monitoring the construction site. What was most complicated to live with was the impossibility of planning ahead. We didn't know how long it would last. We were told a year minimum. It ended up only lasting seven months. But it was the longest seven months of our lives. »
Until February, it was mainly a question of expertise and the creation of files. Then the start of the construction site was delayed due to a very windy and wet winter. But as soon as the work began on March 12, everything went very quickly.
A bill of around 100,000 euros
“The walls were saved thanks to the tarpaulin. The craftsmen rebuilt the roof, this time according to the rules of the art. The insulation and ceilings have been redone. Painting and parquet floors too. Even the stove, which had suffered damage, was replaced,” lists the couple.
Between the rental rent, the reconstruction site and the cleaning, the bill comes to just under 100,000 euros. “But we didn’t have anything to move forward. Everything was taken care of,” Adrien and Anne-Gil relish. Who know how lucky they were in their misfortune. “We were quickly able to return to normal life. But for other Ciaran victims, it was much more complicated. Some of them, with whom we are in contact, are still not finished. Insurance issues can sometimes turn into a very big hassle. »
