Garonne in flood in Toulouse and flooded roads in Ariège due to heavy rains
The accumulations of precipitation are beginning to have consequences on the levels of the rivers in the departments of Hautes-Pyrénées, Ariège and Haute-Garonne placed in red vigilance floods and floods by
Meteo France.
“Since the beginning of the episode, during the night from Saturday to Sunday, we have already noted 100 to 130 mm in Haut-Béarn as well as in certain massifs of Hautes-Pyrénées and Ariège”, indicates the service. forecasts which record on average precipitation with intensities ranging from 3 to 6 mm of rain per hour on the relief. In Tarbes, the Adour thus got out of bed.
The Garonne at nearly three meters at Pont-Neuf
In the mountains, streams overflows, or even landslides or mudslides could occur when the rain-snow limit reaches 2,000 meters. It should begin “from the beginning of the afternoon on the east of Ariège, and later at the end of the day and evening on the west”, indicates Météo-France.
Forecasters expect accumulations of precipitation between yesterday and today, ranging from 50 to 80 mm in the plains, from 100 to 130 mm in the first foothills, valleys and foothills and from 150 to 250 mm in the mountains where the risk avalanche is important.
⚠️ #Crue of the #Garonne :
The level of the Garonne is, on the morning of January 10, 2022, at 2.90 m at #Pont Neuf.
Currently, the Flood Forecasting Service forecasts a height of 3.10 m at 3 p.m. on Monday with a flood peak expected on Tuesday morning at around 3.80 m. pic.twitter.com/81mxtAaBnn– Toulouse City Hall – Alerts (@ToulouseAlertes) January 10, 2022
In Ariège, where the prefecture has opened a crisis unit (05.61.02.11.86), roads are already flooded in Orlu, Prades, Saint-Jean-de-Verges, Lagarde and L’Aiguillon. The one leading to Andorra, via L’Hospitalet, should reopen in the morning after being closed Sunday evening due to an avalanche, blocking dozens of motorists.
In Toulouse, the Garonne is in flood and the town hall has closed the watertight doors at the Port Viguerie and the Garonnette. At 10:30 am, the level of the river at Pont-Neuf had exceeded 2.93 meters according to Vigicrues. “The situation is comparable to that of January 25, 2014 when the Garonne had reached 3.78 m at the Pont Neuf”, indicates Pascal Boureau, former forecaster at Météo-France on his Twitter account. He indicates that in 48 hours, the cumulative precipitation will approach that of an entire month of January.
The flood forecasting service announces a height of 3.10 m from the Garonne at 3 p.m. this Monday and a flood peak on Tuesday morning at around 3.80 m. Suddenly, in Toulouse, access is prohibited to the quays and the banks, the Viguerie footbridge is also closed.