Flooding Crisis Intensifies in Southwest France as Garonne Remains Under Red Alert

Southwest France continues to face severe flooding following storm Nils, with the Garonne river in the Gironde and Lot-et-Garonne departments remaining on red alert due to high water levels and rising river flows. Authorities are closely monitoring the situation, which is characterized as a "generalized flooding" across France, with extensive impacts on local populations and infrastructure.

In Gironde, the flooding situation remains critical: the Garonne river is expected to peak between 4:00 AM and 7:00 AM on Sunday morning at La Réole. The Dordogne and Isle rivers are also under orange alerts, with anticipated peaks at 9:30 AM and 5:00 PM respectively. The storm and floods have caused major disruptions, including power outages affecting 36,000 households in Gironde alone, a decrease from 55,000 the previous evening thanks to restoration efforts by ENEDIS and its 250 additional personnel. Mobile phone services are also impacted, leaving 78,000 people without reception, alongside landline disruptions for 62,000 users.

Transportation has been severely hampered, with 67 departmental roads closed due to fallen trees and flooding, and critical bridges shut down, cutting off direct travel between Agen and Bordeaux. Many residents have voluntarily evacuated, with local mayors activating emergency response plans to assist those displaced. The prefect of Gironde, Étienne Guyot, has urged the public to exercise caution, avoid flooded roads, and strictly follow safety guidelines.

The flood monitoring agency Vigicrues has warned the flooding is far from over, with water levels continuing to rise. They have highlighted the ongoing risk of dike breaches, which could necessitate further evacuations. Beyond Gironde, 16 departments remain on various levels of alert for flooding, with two under red alert and thirteen others on orange. The flood crisis is exacerbated by saturated soils and forecasted additional precipitation in the coming days, which may worsen the high water conditions and complicate the runoff into the Atlantic due to elevated tidal coefficients.

This crisis follows an exceptional meteorological pattern since January, including a dynamic jet stream that has caused record rainfall—such as 488 mm in Quimper—leading to saturated catchment areas in western France. The peak flood in the Garonne could match the severe levels seen during the February 2021 floods.

Operational cells within the prefecture and the armed forces continue to coordinate efforts focused on population protection and maintaining security, keeping vigilance high as the region confronts this escalating natural disaster.