Western France Floods: Government Declares Natural Disaster Amid Ongoing Alerts

Western France continues to grapple with severe flooding after 36 days of exceptional water rises, prompting the government to declare a natural disaster to facilitate insurance compensations. The floods have caused significant damage, affecting approximately 250,000 homes with an estimated total cost of 130 million euros. Average damage per home is around 10,000 euros, involving flooded residences, destroyed furniture, and unusable household appliances.

To expedite the process for affected citizens, the government will activate the public-private Cat Nat insurance scheme by issuing a natural disaster decree. A dedicated commission on natural disasters will convene two weeks ahead of schedule to assess claims from municipalities severely hit along rivers like the Charente, Dordogne, Garonne, Gironde, Loire, and Maine. Homeowners with multi-risk home insurance policies will have 30 days from the decree to submit their damage reports.

Meanwhile, Météo-France maintains the highest flood alert level, red vigilance, for three departments: Loire-Atlantique, Maine-et-Loire, and Charente-Maritime. An additional nine departments including Morbihan, Ille-et-Vilaine, and Gironde remain on orange alert due to flood risks. Though the heavy rains caused by depression Pedro have ceased, and weather conditions are expected to be calmer and drier over the weekend and into next week, downstream river areas may still experience rising water levels.

This ongoing flooding has disrupted life in many communities with continued risk, but the improved weather forecast along with the government’s rapid response intend to address the crisis effectively. The declaration of natural disaster status represents a crucial step for residents seeking timely compensation amid this protracted flood emergency.