The images are dramatic. For almost a week, eastern Spain has been facing flooding on a rare scale. Towns and villages were ravaged, covered in mud, taking the lives of several hundred victims. Although Valencia's geography and land use planning are different from Touraine, episodes of flooding cannot be ruled out in Indre-et-Loire.
Significant rises in water levels have already occurred, particularly during the 100-year floods which have a one in a hundred chance of occurring each year. The last one dates back to 1856. The water then rose to more than 7.50 m on the banks of the Loire, and to almost 2.30 m at Place de la Gare and Place Jean-Jaurès.
« A flood of this magnitude would be extremely serious, both for public and private property. », alerts Silvère Guérin, sustainable development manager at the Métropole de Tours. “ It would impact the entire territory of the city of Tours (except Tours Nord which is elevated), Saint-Pierre, la Riche, Saint-Genouph, Berthenay… More than 130,000 people would have to be evacuated, in an area which also has 75,000 jobs “, he specifies.
“Every first aider knows what they have to do”
If such a flood were to hit Indre-et-Loire, the authorities and public authorities already know how to react. Protocols are planned, such as Orsec, which mobilizes all the emergency services available to the prefect.
« The Orsec plan allows the various mobilized services to know what they have to do, when, to be most effective in organizing relief. », Presents Commander Rachel Verna, head of the risk prevention and forecasting group within the SDIS (Departmental Fire and Rescue Service). “ Everything is well defined, everyone knows what they have to do “, she specifies. Life-size exercises are even carried out to train the teams.
The system provides for two scenarios, with slow and rapid floods. Both are predictable situations. “ We have plenty of time to prepare. With digital measurement tools, we can look at what is happening upstream, the precipitation forecasts, which gives us a 48-hour lead time to anticipate floods or risks of dike rupture. », Shares Anne-Sophie Aubry, head of the aquatic environment management and flood prevention department (Gemapi).
“Be an actor in your own safety”
If the risk of a flood were to arise, the alert would be given by the prefecture. The entire population in a given territory would then be informed by the FR-Alert system, an SMS presenting the risks and the behaviors to adopt. A message with a ring so distinctive, even terrifying, that it is impossible to ignore.
For people who do not have a cell phone, “ the public authorities hold a list allowing vulnerable people to be identified. Aid is sent to them as a priority », assures Commander Rachel Verna. As the alerts are transmitted 48 hours or even 72 hours in advance, she advises paying particular attention to the neighborhood so that the information circulates.
For the commander, if the first hours following the floods are decisive, the worst can be avoided thanks to anticipation of risks. “ Citizens must be responsible for their own safety and not put themselves in danger. If he is at risk of flooding, he must have anticipated leaving his home, or be able to get to safety to be able to manage himself for a few hours on his own. she shares.
« It may seem stupid, but you should not behave inappropriately. Do not try to film the event and put yourself in danger. Do not seek to protect a material asset, such as a car, at the expense of life. Do not attempt to force a roadblock with a vehicle while the road is flooded », recalls the commander. The Indre-et-Loire prefecture is planning a natural flood risk prevention plan as well as public meetings to raise awareness on the issue.
