If the snowfall, rather unusual at this period, especially in the west of France, has decreased significantly, it has had significant consequences.
Traffic still difficult
In Doubs, “significant disruptions and traffic interruptions occurred on the A36”, where several thousand heavy goods vehicles remain stuck “across the road” near Montbéliard, in Doubs, according to the Est republican. The APRR motorway company deplores that many of them defied the restrictions and traffic bans, causing this chaos.
School transport is suspended in the department until midday for the Montbéliard urban area.
Many departments, from Brittany to Alsace, announced on Thursday evening the suspension of school buses until midday.
More broadly, the circulation of heavy goods vehicles weighing more than 7.5 tonnes is prohibited on the A36 motorway in both directions between Mulhouse and Saint-Vit.
Numerous road accidents
The Paris region, the center and the east will also be affected. A heavy goods vehicle fell on the RCEA, causing difficulties.
In Doubs, a collision involved a fire ambulance. In the Alps, particularly in Isère and Haute-Savoie, the situation on the roads remains very complicated. Same thing in Alsace, where more than 25 cm of snow fell on Thursday and overnight.
Accidents also took place near Orléans, Vinci Autoroutes reported. On the A10, “an accident between two heavy goods vehicles makes it impossible to drive northwards, between Meung-sur-Loire and Orléans”, specifies the highway manager.
In Loire-Atlantique, firefighters intervened around 300 times during the storm, which caused 13 minor injuries in the department.
200,000 homes still without electricity
More than a thousand agents from the electricity network manager are hard at work restoring power.
Up to 270,000 homes were deprived of electricity overnight, according to network manager Enedis. In Jura, for example, nearly 3,000 households spent the night without electricity.
This Friday, 200,000 households remain affected, according to a morning report from Enedis. The most affected regions are Normandy (69,000 customers affected), Pays de la Loire (37,000) and Centre-Val de Loire (22,000), detailed Enedis, which explains that “violent winds and falls (sticky) snow caused trees or branches to fall on the cables.
Rail difficulties
Rail traffic will also remain disrupted, as trees have fallen on tracks.
The trains will not run in Normandy until midday “time to pass the reconnaissance trains and carry out clearances and repairs”, indicated the SNCF on Thursday evening.
In Pays de la Loire, “the region was very affected by falling trees”. “Traffic is gradually resuming on Nantes-Angers”, on the other hand, “the other lines of the Nantes star will not be able to resume until tomorrow during the day”.
“In Île-de-France, there are still disruptions on line P between Tournan and Coulommiers, L2 between Garches Marnes la C and St Nom la Brétèche and line T13 for the entire evening,” said the SNCF.
