Very significant flooding was noted on Saturday in Brittany due to heavy rainfall. The rain calmed down on Sunday January 26 morning but it will intensify in the afternoon, according to Météo France. Several rivers and streams are in flood, roads are cut, residents have been evacuated in Ille-et-Vilaine, notes “ici Armorique”. Storm Herminia hits Brittany in particular.
“A first flood peak” was reached on Saturday evening in Ille-et-Villaine, explains Sunday on franceinfo, Jean-Christophe Boursin, secretary general for regional affairs to the prefect of the Brittany region, in charge of the department. Seven municipalities in the department have activated the municipal protection plan: Rennes, Betton, Guichen, Bruz, Pacé, Noyal-Châtillon and Guipry-Messac. Crisis units have been set up to try to manage the situation. Météo Bretagne announces 20 to 40 mm of precipitation for Sunday in Rennes, the equivalent of 15 days of rain in 24 hours, and even 40 to 50 mm in Redon and the Brocéliande region.
In urban areas, particularly in Rennes, “a clinic was evacuated” Sunday morning, relates Jean-Christophe Boursin. A precaution since the establishment “had been affected during previous floods a few weeks ago”. The level of the Ille et Rancé canal is very high, the Saint-Martin canal lock is underwater.
“The level has exceeded the flood level of May 1981”confirms Mayor Nathalie Appéré, “and it will still rise until this Sunday evening.” The Apigné sector and the Prévalaye quay are particularly affected, as well as the Motte-Brûlon sector where an evacuation order was issued on Saturday. Residents were evacuated in Rennes. Two gymnasiums were opened to accommodate them: Constant Véron, in the Bourg l’Évêque district and Jules Isaac in Bellangerais. A call center has been set up. North of Rennes, in Pacé, several homes were evacuated.
No particular instructions are given to residents. Jean-Christophe Boursin warns, however, that things will be more “complicated” Sunday, when residents “will want to go out, to go to work or school”. At that time, explains the general secretary, “the firefighters will be available. But we really invite people to limit all travel.”
-On the road, the “consequences are significant”, continues the secretary general for regional affairs to the prefect of the Brittany region. The RN24 “is cut off at the exit of Rennes towards Lorient. There is a diversion ten to fifteen kilometers after Rennes and in the other direction, we only have one lane”. Il “calls on everyone to be extremely vigilant and to respect signs and detour markings”.
As for the situation on the rails, the SNCF has canceled trains due to fears of falling trees. No trains will run on the Quimper-Landerneau line since 8:30 a.m. Sunday and there will be no trains between Rennes and Saint-Malo from 9 p.m. Slowdowns have already been announced on the Lorient-Quimper line, and in the evening between Rennes and Saint-Brieuc and Rennes and Vannes.
In anticipation of the violent winds which will accompany the passage of Herminia, sea crossings are canceled in Finistère and Morbihan. The company Breizh Go Penn ar bed cancels its rotations to the islands, reports “ici Breizh Izel”. All crossings between Sein and the continent are suspended on Sunday. A single rotation between Brest, Molène and Ouessant, in the Iroise Sea. Disruptions could extend to Monday and Tuesday. In Morbihan, Sunday afternoon rotations between Quiberon and Belle-Île-en-mer are canceled, warns Breizh Go Océane, with disruptions likely again on Monday. All rotations are canceled between Quiberon Houat and Hoëdic, schedules are changed for Monday. Between Lorient and Groix, only the 7:30 p.m. Sunday crossing is canceled. All rotations are canceled on Monday.
