the Nord and Pas-de-Calais are on yellow vigilance
One cause of the heavy rainfall observed in recent days, several rivers such as Helpe Minor or Sambre overflow in places. Residents of neighboring towns spent the weekend of January 8 with their feet in the water.
The plain of the Lys, the Helpe mineure, the Sambre, the Canche: several rivers crossing the North and the Pas-de-Calais overflowed their beds during this weekend of January 8. Heavy rains in recent days have not spared the area, where seasonal flooding is frequent. Sambre-Avesnois notably experienced similar phenomena in January, in February but also in July 2021. The municipalities bordering the Lys plain have already gone through an episode of flooding at the end of November.
In the area, according to Météo France’s Vigicrues service, the water level could reach 2.3m during this day of January 10. Downstream from Helpe Minor, the record for rising water levels was recorded at Maroilles: 3.97 m at 2 p.m. this Sunday January 9. Concerning the Sambre, in Berlaimont as in Maubeuge – where Météo France has its stations – anticipates a rise in water levels of up to 2.1m.
In Boulogne-sur-Mer, Maroilles or Cartignies, these localized floods mainly made the roads impassable. No casualties are to be deplored, despite an incident in Cartignies. “Sunday morning, we have a person of a certain age who came to the entrance of the village, who got stuck and who panicked a little, the firefighters came to rescue her, testify Sabine Caufapé, the mayor of the town, with France 3. We have a stream, at the exit of the village, which in these cases overflows first and when it drains, it is the river which overflows, on the other side. There, it has come down quite a bit, the roads are open to traffic. “
The mayor of the village finds herself in difficulty: the firefighters of her municipality cannot help cleaning the streets. “The road is very dirty in the city center, the municipal staff has collected the debris, but it is not in the attributions of our firefighters. We are waiting for a sweeper, perhaps from the department”, hopes the chosen one.
According to Météo France, “the showers have evacuated completely to the east” now, and the time of the next few days promises to be milder and drier.