30 years after the floods of 1995, where are we in Le Mans today?

January 1995 marks 30 years exceptional flooding in around a hundred municipalities in Sarthe.

In Le Mans, the water reached a height of 3.20 meters and the floods lasted around ten days. Causing human suffering and significant material damage.

Has the consideration of flood risk evolved sufficiently since then? Elements of response with Michel Rioux, president of the association for the defense of disaster victims and the protection of flooded neighborhoods (ADSPQI).

Achievements to protect flood zones

Since 2001, Le Mans Métropole has implemented a strategy aimed at reduce the impact of floods in the urban area. And a budget of 33 million euros. “The program resulted in local developments,” concedes Michel Rioux.

Created in 1966 and reactivated after the floods of 1995, the association defends the implementation of public policies for the safety of flood-prone populations.

Of the say were put in place to protect, on the Sarthe side, the Oliver Heuzé and Australia districts and on the Huisne side, the Cretan district. Large valves were installed on dams in order to release water according to regulation needs. Weirs were installed to direct water to unbuilt areas in neighborhoods.

During episodes of flooding, the City of Le Mans preventively installs cofferdams in the most vulnerable areas, such as at the beginning of January 2025, at rue d’Italie and rue des Acacias.

The association estimates that 40% of the work of the local development studies carried out in 2001 has been carried out.

Upstream protections

Although these developments have enabled notable improvements, the account is not yet there according to the association. Where the problem lies, according to her, is for example the lack of distant protectionsin other words protection systems located further upstream of the river.

“They would make it possible to reduce the flow of water, thanks to temporary detentionsso that the flood does not turn into a flood,” explains Michel Rioux. In short, it is necessary to regulate the flow during flood episodes so that water does not arrive massively in urbanized areas.

The ADSPQI welcomes the operations of cleanings rivers. “The union (editor’s note, Sarthe basin union) began to remove the merlons during cleanings to increase the expansion of floods. »

The association hopes that the maintenance of existing protection systems will also be ensured, citing in particular the incident which occurred at the La Guierche dam last July.

A lack of solidarity between upstream and downstream

To go further, the president of the association considers that it is necessary to have solidarity between upstream and downstream by thinking on the scale of the watershed and not only on the municipal or intercommunal scale.

Likewise, the association defends the preservation of flood-prone areas free of any construction, with fields having water absorption capacity.

How to finance this work? For Michel Rioux, one of the avenues would be to apply the Gemapi tax (management of aquatic environments and flood prevention). This tax is optional and therefore not necessarily enforced by the EPCI.

The other obstacle lies in acceptance from residents who are not directly affected by the risk of flooding or who may be reluctant to construct structures.

“The scheme is complex,” he summarizes, referring to the difficulty for elected officials and authorities to carry out arbitrations.

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