Extreme rainfall, severe flooding in Haute-Marne department, France

ByRishav Kothari
Extreme rainfall, severe flooding in Haute-Marne department, France

Image credit: Conseil départemental de la Haute-Marne (stillshot)

Severe thunderstorms caused severe flooding in France’s Haute-Marne department on July 20, 2024, leaving significant damage and injuring at least 5 people.

The prefecture reported that the “intense stormy episode” started at 19:00 local time (LT), impacting the communes of Bologne, Marault, Annéville-la-Prairie, and Meures.

Rainfall in these areas was ten times higher than usual in just one hour, local authorities reported.

Météo-France confirmed that Bologne, Meures, and Sexfontaines experienced over 50 mm (1.97 inches) of rain within an hour and nearly 100 mm (3.94 inches) over six hours.

Emergency services responded to 80 incidents, with five individuals hospitalized primarily for hypothermia. By 01:00 LT, six roads in the department were blocked, about 60 homes were without power, and 34 people had been evacuated to the Sexfontaines village hall.

The departmental council reported considerable damage in several municipalities due to water and mud flows. A second storm hit Bologne around 23:00 LT, resulting in more than 1 m (3.28 feet) of water flooding the streets and homes within minutes.

Montbard in the Côte-d’Or department and Othe, situated between Yonne and Aube, were also affected by flooding.

Météo-France lifted its amber storm alerts on the morning of July 21 for the northeast to the center-east regions. However, thunderstorms were predicted for southern parts of the country, with expectations of heavy precipitation adding to the previous day’s accumulations.

References:

1 Five in hospital after floods in France’s Haute-Marne department – The Local – July 21, 2024

Rishav Kothari is Editor-in-Chief of The Watchers, where he runs the newsroom and covers earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather and space weather.

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