DIRECT – Storm Kirk: one department placed on red alert for floods, 34 others placed on orange alert

The essentials

• Thirty-four French departments are placed on orange “rain-flood”, “wind” or “flood” alert, including Loiret, Eure-et-Loir and Loire.

• Depression Kirk crosses France from the Atlantic coast to the northeastern borders and is expected to leave the country early Thursday morning.

• Rail traffic is disrupted in the Saint-Etienne sector and in the Grand Est.

• Météo-France announces the switch to red alert for Seine-et-Marne due to the risk of flooding in Grand-Morin.

The live

4:40 p.m. | Power cuts and falling trees in the Basque Country

7,500 homes are without electricity in the Basque Country and trees have fallen on the road network in several municipalities, according to information from France Bleu Pays-Basque.

4:15 p.m. | Seine-et-Marne placed on red alert for floods

Météo-France announces the transition to red alert for Seine-et-Marne due to the risk of flooding in Grand-Morin, which has been particularly scrutinized in recent hours.

Three other departments are on orange alert for this same risk: Meurthe-et-Moselle, Vendée and Alpes-Maritimes.

4 p.m. | The equivalent of a month of rain has already fallen in 24 hours in Vendée and Loire-Atlantique

The situation becomes complicated in Loire-Atlantique and Vendée with cumulative rainfall which sometimes exceeds a month of rain in 24 hours. Floods are increasing.

3:50 p.m. | Rail traffic stopped between Grenoble and Lyon

According to information from France Bleu, train traffic is at a standstill in the Grenoble-Lyon direction. The fault lies with a tree branch that fell on the catenary in the town of Châbons.

Since the beginning of the afternoon, violent winds have affected the Isère department. Météo France placed the department on orange vigilance from 2 p.m.

3:45 p.m. | Damage in Portugal

Storm Kirk caused damage in Portugal, with 400 trees uprooted in the region of Porto, the large city in the north of the country. 300,000 people are without power.

3:35 p.m. | What are the recommendations in the event of a storm?

3:25 p.m. | Gusts over 100 km/h

Since yesterday evening, the rainfall accumulations have already been considerable from Vendée to Loire Atlantique with 93 mm in Noirmoutier, 67 mm in Nantes, 44 mm in Angers.

3:15 p.m. | Overflows between Deux-Sèvres and Vendée

According to images shared on social networks by a BFMTV journalist, excesses are underway between Deux-Sèvres and Vendée. According to him, there are “fears of flooding for some homes in the coming hours”.

3:10 p.m. | What are we talking about?

After wreaking havoc in the United States, causing the death of more than 230 people, Hurricane Kirk arrived in France and has lost intensity. We now speak of depression or storm. We explain to you here the differences between these terms widely used in the media.

Depression Kirk: 34 departments placed on orange vigilance

3 p.m. | Hello and welcome to this live!

Developments in the situation, recommendations, testimonials… The latest information on Kirk depression can be followed here.