“What they experienced was the floods in 1988 in Nîmes to the fourth power! ” : people from Nîmes, who have relatives in Valencia, express their feelings

Due to the historical, cultural and economic ties between Spain and Nîmes, the floods on Tuesday 29 October in Valencia affected a large part of the population of Nîmes. These images of vehicles colliding with others blocking narrow streets, this heavy human toll with more than 200 dead and many missing, recall a terrible precedent in Gard…

The inhabitants of Nîmes, a city that was also destroyed on October 3, 1988 after bad weather, even with many family connections in the Valencian region, like José Peris who runs the bodega Pepe de Montijo, are named from after his father, who was a bullfighter born in Valencia. “As soon as I knew there were these terrible floods, I called a lot of my family. Everyone is fine! But the damage is very significant. I have relatives who live in the center of Valencia.. But others were more exposed and had to take shelter.

A storm with uprooted palm trees

On the site, the family of José Peris describes scenes of storms, uprooted palm trees, pouring rain: “There is a lot of damage.

World Paella Championship 2022, organizer of the Nîmes feria competition for two years with the city, ambassador in France of the Valencian culinary culture, Éric Gil sent several phone calls to his friends who were affected by the tragedy in Valencia.

The day before the floods, he left the Spanish city after taking part in the Cullera Gastronomica event: “It was already raining when I left and we were talking about the weather phenomenon Dana. In this section, we know the phenomenon of the cold current that these bad weather brings. , people disappeared, that someone was able to give me an account… It’s hard for me to imagine and explain What I was told when the warning was given, that some people were already sitting on trees to save himself Too late.”

A big paella of intimacy

Valencian friends Eric Gil talk about the increasingly complicated health situation with the possible wearing of FFP2 masks, the race against time to find the lifeless bodies involved in their cellars or homes. “The bacteria in the water are afraid”trusting this lover of round rice from the Albufera region heavily affected by dirty and muddy waters. “Fortunately for them, the rice harvest had been completed before the floods”notes this paella enthusiast who also talks about this increase in intimacy “With people who come on foot, by bike to help”.

Éric Gil says that he will organize a big paella in Barbentane probably on the weekend of November 9-10 to raise money to help the disasters in Valencia.