On this rainy Saturday morning, a trio stood out on the Montreuil market: Corinne and Justine Petite-Goutte, accompanied by Professor Aimé, brought a little color with their colorful boots and hats and their rainbow umbrella to wander around the market aisles, singing with enthusiasm “All the rain falls on my roof” (inspired by Sacha Distel), inviting walkers to answer a few questions on the theme of water. “What is a photometeor?” »asks the professor to passers-by who stop, intrigued by these cheerful, colorful people. “A rainbow? Good answer! You have won a trip to Ostend! … Sorry, at the flood and solutions fair stands! »
A stone’s throw from the market, the Joint Syndicate of Canche and Authie has erected arbors to welcome residents and invite them to discuss the management of risks linked to flooding. The first edition of the show, organized last year in the Hesdin riding hall, caused quite a stir… So for this second edition, Symcéa decided to meet the population on the ground and Montreuil, including the area was underwater for months, was the ideal place to interact with locals. A courageous but necessary step: “Many residents are worried, but also angry. Some are still in difficult situations, have not been able to return home and perhaps never will… We take the time to listen to them because we want to collect their feelings, their testimonies”explains Grégoire Jacquesson, head of the risk management division at Symcéa. A role which has taken on its full meaning over the past year and the successive floods which have affected the Canche basin: “Emergency work has been carried out by communities since then, but prevention remains essential. Today, the water tables are full: we all hope not to be faced with flooding again like last year, but we are telling residents to prepare. Faced with such events, we either resign ourselves or become aware of the risk and take measures. When you live near a watercourse, you will inevitably, sooner or later, be exposed to the risk of flooding. »
The inhabitants of Montreuillois actually have the experience, as evidenced by the photos presented during the show, showing the flooded villages, roads, homes and the damage that resulted. “I hope I’m wrong, but I think it’s going to happen again”notes a visitor while looking at the photos, recognizing his mother-in-law’s house which was hit hard. Residents of the area know that floods can return and live with worry every time heavy rains are forecast. Emergency work, cleaning of waterways and ditches, and maintenance of banks should help limit the impact of future events, but nothing can guarantee total safety: “Floods are linked to so many factors that we cannot control everything. We take care of the waterways, but there is also the problem of concreting”underlines a Symcéa technician. “As the old people say, “before we chavo where to put the water!” »notes a resident. It is difficult to return to the mistakes of the past, reproduced in all territories. It is therefore necessary to look at the situation objectively and to anticipate as best as possible new events which will not be lacking, taking into account climate change. “The important thing for us is to make people aware of the right actions to take in the face of risks. Communities may or may not carry out work, but everyone can prepare. Well-informed people return to “normal” life more easily”insists Grégoire Jacquesson, who wishes to organize the next show and other awareness-raising actions in areas which have not yet been affected but which can be exposed – i.e. more than two hundred municipalities for the Canche basin. So, it is not a question of living in fear or in ignorance, but of facing the risks in order to prepare well for the future. After all, as Sacha Distel sang: “I feel good and I tell myself that after the rain comes the good weather”. But we don’t have all our time anymore!
Related News :