The prefect of Haute-Loire, Yvan Cordier, confirms that no casualties were reported on Thursday, but “consequent material damage.”
Published on 10/17/2024 7:13 p.m.
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<img alt="A flooded street in Bourg-Argental in Haute-Loire, October 17, 2024. (SYLVAIN THIZY / AFP)” width=”432″ height=”243″ sizes=”100vw” src=”https://www.francetvinfo.fr/pictures/8Kod7gpQFJ93y3nckLIM5GOd7jw/0x350:6737×4140/432×243/2024/10/17/000-36kb3qr-6711458752fdb489042832.jpg” fetchpriority=”high”/>
A flooded street in Bourg-Argental in Haute-Loire, October 17, 2024. (SYLVAIN THIZY / AFP)
There is “a high probability that we are in a fifty-year flood”declared Yvan Cordier, the prefect of Haute-Loire, on Thursday October 17 on franceinfo. The department is on red alert for floods and on orange alert for rain-flooding.
No casualties have been reported in the department, confirmed the prefect, but there are “material damage which is significant and which is currently being assessed”. Reinforcements of firefighters will also be deployed in Haute-Loire. 120 firefighters will arrive “in support of the 250 firefighters already mobilized”indicated Yvan Cordier.
Despite everything, “we have rather positive signals” for the next few hours, confirmed the prefect. “In the Loire and Lignon basins, the decline is slowly beginning”he clarified. “We are expecting rain tonight but it should be less intense than the previous night […]. We are quite confident even if we have to remain very, very cautious.”declared the prefect.
As in the Gard, there have been “verbalizations in Bas-en-Basset on a major dike and very firm instructions which are given to the gendarmerie to fine people who do not respect the prohibitions”warned the prefect.
