Updated on 14/10/2024
For the third consecutive year, theand Government institutes the day “ All resilient in the face of risks – Inform yourself, react, protect yourself » the October 13. The objective is to raise awareness of natural and technological risks and prepare everyone for good behavior in the event of a disaster.
The Cantal department is affected by 10 risks among the 18 identified: flooding, landslide, earthquake, radon, forest fire, avalanche, industrial, dam failure, transport of dangerous materials, mining. These risks are classified as “major”, “significant” or “existing” risks. In order to be better prepared, the population must be able to protect themselves from the risks to which they are exposed and if a disaster occurs, to quickly regain balance and demonstrate resilience.
The adaptation of territories to natural risks accentuated by climate change (forest fires, variability and intensity of weather phenomena, floods and land movements, etc.) is a necessity which requires that their inhabitants have better knowledge of these phenomena.
As part of this national day of action against risks, the Cantal prefecture, in partnership with the departmental archives, is organizing an exhibition “Cantal faces risks, it already happened yesterday… and tomorrow? “.
This exhibition, inaugurated by Alexandre Kesteloot, sub-prefect, cabinet director, will take place from October 14 to November 7 (8:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday to Thursday) in the exhibition room of the departmental archives and aims to present events which have already occurred in the department and which could occur again.
This exhibition will also present the natural risks present in Cantal, and raise awareness of the behaviors to adopt in the event of a natural disaster. On this occasion, the drawings of the winning children of the competition on the theme of natural risks “A natural risk, how do you imagine it? » will be exhibited.
The risks in Cantal in figures
Land movement risk:
164 municipalities are exposed to the risk of landslides, including 4 at major risk.
237 municipalities are affected by the shrinkage-swelling of clays, 37 of which are at major risk.
91 cavities spread over 44 municipalities.
More than 574 land movements have been recorded since 1994.
Flood risk:
127 municipalities are exposed to flood risk.
6 municipalities are identified as being at major risk (Aurillac, Laroquebrou, Maurs, Polminhac, Saint-Flour and Vic-sur-Cère).
30 municipalities are identified as being at significant risk.
Forest and vegetation fire risk:
244 municipalities are exposed to forest fires.
Andelat, Chaudes-Aigues, Ruynes-en-Margeride and Saint-Flour are exposed to a significant risk.
9 out of 10 fires are of human origin.
Avalanche risk:
The most common avalanches are melt snow slides.
Slab avalanches are sometimes observed around Puy Mary, Puy Chavaroche, Peyre Arse or Puy du Rocher, more modest flows are identified on the Plomb du Cantal side and in the Prat de Bouc sector.
In order to be informed of the risks present in Cantal or more locally in your municipality, the departmental file of major risks (DDRM), revised in June 2022, lists natural and technological risks, and prevention and protection measures for the territory . It can be consulted on the State services website at: https://www.cantal.gouv.fr/Action-de-l-Etat/Securite-publique/Risques-naturels-et-technologique/S-politique- on-the-risks-present-in-Cantal/Departmental-file-of-major-risks-DDRM
