Work started on Monday November 18, 2024 at the Jambette bridge, in Nogent-le-Rotrou. The project involves evacuating deposits of sand and gravel which have accumulated there during recent floods. It should last a few days.
An excavator above the bridge is ready to load tons of rubble, a mini-excavator at the water level of the Jambette is working to clear several cubic meters of gravel and sand under the arches of the bridge… On At the edge of the construction site, an even more compact chaser is even stationed, equipped with a mechanical shovel, to go deep into the culverts dug under the roadway of rue de la Jambette, at Nogent-le-Rotrou.
Kirk depression, the day after: floods from the tributaries of the Huisne cause damage in the town center of Nogent-le-Rotrou
It was a project lasting a few days, or even perhaps a week, which began on Monday November 18, 2024 in this rue de la Jambette, not far from the Louis-Arsène-Meunier college, which was severely affected by flooding at the start of the last month. In the same way as some 150 other buildings and buildings along rue Saint-Lazare, rue de Ronne, des Tanneurs, des Poupardières…
An exceptional scenario
The scenario for the evening and night of October 9 to 10, 2024 was quickly identified. The floods which affected this part of the town center of Nogent-le-Rotrou cannot be explained by the hitherto historic overflows of the Huisne but rather by the unprecedented floods which affected its tributaries such as the Berthe, the Jambette and the Ronne.
Depression Kirk: in Nogent-le-Rotrou, the Louis-Arsène-Meunier college closed until further notice
Consecutive floods, it must be remembered, with the passage of the Kirk depression “which generated up to 70 or 80 mm of precipitation on average over 24 hours on all the catchment areas of these rivers”, as indicated on Monday in front of the construction site, Philippe Ruhlmann, the vice-president of the Perche community of communes in charge of water, sanitation and flood prevention.
Ruts 70 cm deep
“It’s almost the equivalent of a month’s worth of rain in one day which also caused floods and flooding in La Cloche and Val-Roquet. »
Philippe Ruhlmann (Vice-president of the Perche community of communes)
A significant volume of rain which fell continuously on agricultural land already well soaked by the precipitation recorded in the preceding days and weeks.
150 homes flooded last night in Nogent-le-Rotrou
“This must make us question our agricultural practices when we see that the runoff water went straight into the rivers. Where there are no longer any hedges, they have even dug ruts in the fields 70 cm wide by 70 cm deep,” describes Philippe Ruhlmann.
Some 180 m3 of sand and gravel to be evacuated
For his part, the president of com'com and mayor of Nogent-le-Rotrou, Jérémie Crabbe, insisted: “To begin this clearing operation under the arches of this bridge, we first had to obtain authorization from the Departmental Territorial Directorate. »
He also explains: “A certain number of recommendations were made to us since, for example, we must not touch the minor bed of the watercourse. » According to Hugo Leveau, the agent for the City of Nogent-le-Rotrou and the community of communes of Perche in charge of these issues, “the volume of gravel and sand to be evacuated under the rue de la Jambette bridge is estimated at around 180 m3.
If this part of the maintenance of the river falls to the community, Jérémie Crabbe and Philippe Ruhlmann know how to remind local residents of their obligations: “The routine maintenance of the rivers and banks is their responsibility. For the rest, we must also open the debate at the national level because education does not seem to be enough.”
Stéphane Marchand
