the essential
But then, tell me, Jamy…? This voice, known to all, is that of Fred, journalist and host of the show “C’est pas Sorcerer” and then “L’Esprit Sorcerer”. The latter is in Cahors, this Wednesday evening, to popularize floods and high waters.
Frédéric Courant, widely known for his show with Jamy “C’est pas Sorcerer”, then “L’Esprit Sorcerer”, is in Cahors this Wednesday evening to talk about floods and high waters. A conference organized by Grand Cahors.
Why this topic?
Grand Cahors wanted to explain floods to the public, and more particularly floods. This is a subject that I know well, since we talked about it a lot in “It’s not rocket science”. And two years ago, I produced a report for the Ministry of Ecological Transition on risk culture in France. My role is to make sure everyone understands.
Also read:
20 years after the floods of 2003: is the town of Cahors ready to face another flood?
Are we well prepared for floods?
We are very poorly prepared for it. Torrential rains are nothing new. Look, in 2020, at the storm that ravaged the Vésubie and Roya valleys. Or what happened in Valencia. We are not immune to that. There are 23 departments in France which are part of the Mediterranean arc, and which are subject to the risk of rapid flooding. The Lot is one of them. The goal is not to scare people, but to be well prepared.
Comment ?
You have to know the right actions and reflexes: watch Vigicrues, have alerts on your smartphone… And above all, know the “stupid things” not to do, like picking up your children from school. It only takes 30 centimeters of water for a car to be swept away. Or even go down to the basement. When you are in a flood zone, you should provide cofferdams, have your sockets one meter from the ground… Ask yourself if you have a floor to take refuge in, and if the room you are going to has a window so that emergency services can can come and pick us up. Have an emergency kit ready with essential things.
Can't the Lot make do with its numerous dams to protect itself from flooding?
This is not their primary goal. They are not made for that. Their goal is to be transparent. In a period when there is more water, this can be a place where it is accumulated, to make a water reservoir.
Also read:
A pavilion being demolished in Cahors: why the city is destroying buildings on the Toulouse route
In the case of the Cahors Sud area, which is regularly flooded, what can be done?
With torrential rains, the bartassec can swell. This could be a disaster. And with the acceleration of these phenomena and their increasing intensity, the risks of this happening are significant. The area should be rethought. But it is a very complex problem. Asking a family to leave their home, especially when they have never faced the risk. And we have short memories: we continue to build in sensitive places. It is important that we study it and develop it. There are nature-based solutions, and they work. We need to stop saying “It’s an eco thing”. It's not about politics, it's about saving lives.
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