Rennes under water
Credit : City of Rennes
Depression Herminia caused violent winds this Sunday, gusts reached 158 km/h in Ouessant, 136 km/h in Penmarc'h, 125 km/h in Belle-Ile and on the island of Yeu (124); 116 km/h in Brest and 98 km/h in Lannion.
Around a hundred interventions in Finistère
In Finistèrefirefighters carried out more than 150 interventions, including 100 linked to the storm. There were more than 160 mobilized, and the Prefecture recorded two injuries, without seriousness. A thousand homes are without power…
In Morbihanthe Saint-Eloi river has burst its banks: also the road to Vannes is closed and a diversion via the RN 165 is in place, this Monday the connections will be disrupted towards Groix, Houat, Hoedic and in the harbor of Lorient.
In the Côtes d’Armora lot of rain near Lanvallay and Dinan where residents on the banks of the Rance woke up to water a few meters from their house or in their garden.
Ille-et-Vilaine under water, 400 evacuations
But it is in Ille-et-Vilaine that the depression caused heavy flooding: the department has been facing a historic flood episode since Saturday (January 25), with record flood levels in places! After a lull of a few hours this Sunday, further rain is expected tonight and the water will therefore continue to rise.
The firefighters received more than 700 calls yesterday causing around fifty trips. Some 400 people were evacuated as a precaution. In the Bellangerais district, the football fields have become lakes.
According to Emmanuelle Rousset, Rennes elected official in charge of social dialogue, “the houses were not affected because the water is on the other side, where the arrangements are well made since we have flood absorption spaces, which mean that it is primarily the football stadiums which were flooded. Natural spaces are used for that, but there are a few homes that have still been affected, and this is being looked at closely by both local residents and the authorities.”
-Solidarity played well in Bellangerais
An emergency reception center was open at the Jules Isaac gymnasium, but the solidarity of local residents made it possible to close the place: “People were evacuated last night by the authorities and they were able to be rehoused. The city opened gymnasiums, but this one will close and we will send people to the Prouf gymnasium, near Liberté. Here, for the moment, there are not many needs so we are concentrating our forces to accommodate in good conditions in the other gymnasium.”
At the Constant Veron gymnasium, Saturday night was particularly intense but calm seemed to return this Sunday, during the inventory carried out by Dominique, a Red Cross volunteer. “We received an alert last night and we were notified by the Red Cross. It's very calm there but the peak was supposed to be this morning, then this evening and now they say Wednesday. We remain on hold but this could deteriorate in the hours and days to come. The youth hostel was evacuated because it was underwater. So a lot of people from the inn came here…”
The peak has not yet been reached and the decline will not occur before Wednesday according to the mayor of Rennes, Nathalie Appéré, who activated the City's safeguard plan on Saturday. Two emergency reception centers remain open at the Constant-Véron gymnasium and the Jean-Prouff gymnasium.
The boats are on the verge of ending up on the sidewalk
Romaric is homeless, he lived near the bridge where the floods were the most violent: “the boats are on the verge of ending up on the sidewalk! The road is blocked and the entire street leading up to the north cemetery is completely flooded. It's the same for cars, the tunnel is completely impassable. In fact, it's full of water, more than 1.5 meters of water! I live outside so I can't access it and everything has taken on water : the mattresses took on water, the blankets took on water, just like the electronics… We find ourselves with nothing and we are here, at the gym, but we are well off!”
For local residents faced with rising water levels in the La Touche sector, concrete blocks can be borrowed to raise the most exposed property. Two trucks from the City of Rennes are parked for this purpose in front of 30 rue du Canal.
Traffic conditions are expected to be difficult
In Ille et Vilaine, traffic conditions will be very difficult this (Monday) morning. Many roads, particularly around Rennes, will be cut and diverted. The RN24 was diverted in the direction of Rennes / Lorient near Mordelles, before only one lane was reopened at the end of the day. In the other direction, the situation is uncertain since the left lane had to be neutralized this weekend.
Not far away, in Mayenneseveral areas are flooded along the banks of the Mayenne River in the Laval, Mayenne and Château Gontier sectors. Around forty firefighters were engaged this Sunday, for security or evacuation operations, and certain roads were closed.
