The year 2024 will have once again brought its share of floods to the Corrèze department. In October, “the abnormal intensity of the phenomenon during the event is characterized with regard to the cumulative precipitation or the flow of watercourses which have a return period greater than 10 years” we can read in the 'stopped'state of natural disaster concerning five municipalities of Corrèze published this Tuesday. Eventually, the month of October is just a reflection of a year where the weather was very unusualbetween rainy periods and very dry periods.
In the details of the weather reports carried out at the Brive station, September was the second wettest month in record historyOctober the third wettest month. In September-October, 312 millimeters of rain fell on Brive, including 60 mm over the four days affected by the decree, October 16-17-18-19. The firefighters had intervened dozens of times to dry out premises and housing in the areas of Tulle, Favars, Seilhac, Beynat. The town of Lanteuil was the most affected sector. The Vianne river had suddenly overflowed.
Precipitation (difference from monthly average)
- January: -24%
- February: +63%
- March: +101% (4th wettest month in history in the department behind 2006, 1988 and 1991)
- Avril : 0%
- May : +72%
- June: -1%
- July: -36%
- August: -76%
- September: +111% (2nd wettest month in history in the department behind 2006)
- October: +97% (3rd wettest month in history in the department behind 1990 and 1991)
Buckets of water fell in early September
The October episode makes us forget that it was in September that heavy downpours affected Corrèze. On September 5 and 6, 75 millimeters of rain fell, or 50% of the precipitation for the month of September at the weather station. On Thursday September 5 alone, 40 mm fell in just 1 hour 50 minutes, the next day 34 mm in five hours.
Earlier in the year, at the end of winter, Corrèze again experienced episodes of moderate flooding, in March, proof once again that the department has suffered an extraordinary year.
The record flood dates from 1960
However, nothing compares with the historic floods of 1960. It was already October. “This event corresponds to the reference flood and allowed State services to determine the perimeter of the PPRI, the Special Flood Risk Plan)“, writes the town hall on its website. The last flood in Brive dates back to July 2001, which corresponds to the third strongest flood measured in Brive since the 1950s.
