Since yesterday evening, the department of Vaucluse had prepared for all eventualities in the face of the critical situation further north, in the Ardèche Cévennes and in view of rather vague forecasts as to the consequences on the flow of the Rhône which we imagined at one point that it could exceed 6m in Avignon. Throughout the Rhône, from Lamotte to the north, the most sensitive routes had been closed preventively and the emergency services linked to the communities were ready to intervene and deploy to carry out evacuations.
Ultimately, it was the most favorable scenario which occurred with impressive flow rates causing overflows but without major consequences. The flood of the Rhône reached its peak around 1 a.m. to approach the level of 5.50 m in Avignon before stabilizing for the rest of the night. A level which remains below that reached in November 2016 and very far from the historical records of the river.
Around Avignon, extremely disrupted traffic
The most significant consequences relate to traffic, particularly around the Avignon junction, which was totally congested this morning like all the main roads in the conurbation according to the information we have. Traffic remains completely closed on the Rhône side between Saint-Lazare and the Pont de l’Europe and major traffic jams have formed everywhere, including on the Gard side.
The instruction was given yesterday evening to only take the car if absolutely necessary and to favor teleworking, the train and public transport (free all day). At this stage, no reopening of the closed roads is envisaged given the level of the Rhône, stabilized at 5.30 m. It must go down below 4.75 m to free up the lanes on the banks. The Daladier Bridge and the Kingdom Bridge remain condemned.
A decline that could take the day… or even extend over the weekend
According to the information available at this stage, the decline is still modest. Upstream, the flows of the Ardèche and the Cède which had caused the river to swell have gone down but the upstream Rhône could take over. Between Lyon and Vienna, flow rates are increasing again, which could delay the return to normal in Provence. At Avignon town hall, we are preparing for a slow decline, which could take the day, or even extend part of the weekend.
