Rainfall-Flooding

Throughout summer 2022, we have experienced unusual periods of drought and unprecedented forest fires. The extreme heatwaves we have been experiencing could very quickly turn to intense rainfall and storms across the Mediterranean basin, as much warmer temperatures than normal for the season in the Mediterranean Sea can cause intense Mediterranean rainfall.

From September to mid-December, the territories of the Mediterranean basin are more likely to experience periods of intense rainfall, which can cause dangerous flash floods.
Let’s behave responsibly in the event of intense Mediterranean rainfall and/or flooding: this information could save lives.

Leaving your car behind can save your life !

You too can download the communication kit and help spread the word about the right behaviour to adopt!

Communication kit

Je reporte tous mes déplacements, que ce soit à pied ou en voiture.

Stay indoors

Postpone any trips out, whether it is on foot or by car.

Je laisse mes enfants à l’école ou à la crèche : ils y sont en sécurité.

Avoid travelling

Leave your children at school or at a daycare centre. They will be safe there.

Je reste ou je rentre dans un bâtiment. Je monte en hauteur, à l’étage.

Go upstairs

Either stay or go inside a building. Go upstairs.

Si possible, je coupe les réseaux de gaz, d’électricité et de chauffage sans me mettre en danger.

Cut off supply networks

If possible, cut off any gas, electricity and heating supply, without putting yourself at risk.

Quelques centimètres d’eau suffisent à emporter une voiture. Je ne prends pas ma voiture ou je ne reste pas dedans.

Avoid driving

Just a few centimetres of flowing water can be enough to sweep away a car. Do not go out in your car or stay inside it.

Je ne descends pas dans les sous-sols ou les parkings souterrains.

Do not go underground

Do not go into a basement or underground car park.

Je m’éloigne des cours d’eau, des berges et des ponts. Pour éviter la foudre, je ne me réfugie pas sous un arbre.

Stay away from waterways

Stay away from waterways, riverbanks and bridges. To avoid lightning, do not take shelter under a tree.

Je reste informé et à l’écoute des consignes des secours et/ou de ma mairie.

Stay informed

Keep up-to-date with the situation and observe instructions issued by the emergency services and/or the local council.

Je me soucie des personnes vulnérables et isolées en privilégiant les SMS afin de laisser les réseaux disponibles pour les secours.

Look out for others

Look out for vulnerable and isolated people, and communicate via SMS to leave any telephone lines available for the emergency services.

Contenu d'un kit d'ugence pour 72h. — Antoine Dagan - CitizenPress

Prepare a 72-hour emergency kit

Power cuts, no access to gas and running water, blocked roads: when we experience a major disaster, the first 72 hours are often the most critical. Prepare a kit beforehand so that you can stay at home while you wait for the emergency services. This kit could also be useful in the event of a sudden departure.

This kit should be kept in a place where it can be easily accessed, to be able to pick it up as quickly as possible, and it should be away from any rising water. For example, it shouldn’t be stored in a cellar or basement.

Once a year, you should check the contents of the kit, especially expiry dates of medication and food items, and replace any batteries.

What should be included in an emergency kit?

Plenty of drinking water (6L per person in bottles), non-perishable food items that do not require cooking, a battery-powered or wind-up torch, a pocket knife or tin opener, candles with matches or a lighter, a battery-powered radio, a first-aid kit, an extra set of keys, photocopies of identification documents, an external battery, cash, warm clothing, etc.

How can I keep up-to-date with the situation?

How can I find out about an upcoming risk of intense rainfall and/or flooding?

Météo-France will issue weather warnings for all citizens and public authorities in the event of dangerous weather events, for the current day and the next day. These weather warnings are additional to the usual weather reports.

The Vigicrues network from the Ministry of Ecology Transition and Territorial Cohesion is concerned with issuing flood warnings. To keep up-to-date with flood warnings, the Vigicrues application is available to download free-of-charge. This application sends personalised warnings directly to your mobile phone in the form of notifications, as well as any characteristics and current information about the waterways in the area vigicrues.gouv.fr.

Météo-France

Vigicrues

Download Vigicrues

During the event, how can I keep up-to-date with the situation?

Stay informed and listen to the safety advice issued by the town hall and local authorities, via their usual means of communication (website, social media), and via radio stations France Inter and/or France Info.
Only call the fire brigade in cases of emergency.

What exactly is a Mediterranean episode?

Mediterranean episodes are linked to rising hot, humid and unstable air coming from the Mediterranean, which can cause violent storms. They usually occur in the autumn which is when the sea is at its warmest, meaning there is maximum evaporation. The equivalent of several months’ worth of rain can fall in just a few hours or days. These episodes of intense rainfall can result in dangerous, flash floods, which can cause extensive damage and casualties, and have a significant environmental and economic impact.

Flood prevention

A reinforced prevention campaign

You can also help by passing on the campaign information.

In 2022 and for the 7th edition, the Ministry of Ecology Transition and Territorial Cohesion, with support from the Ministry of the Interior, re-issued its annual information and acculturation campaign, studying the population exposed to Mediterranean intense rainfall, flowing water and torrential flooding.

A study with a panel of citizens representative of the French population (study carried out by IFOP, June 2022) demonstrated that citizens are still not sufficiently aware of the risks, have not understood the responsible behaviour to adopt, and tend to believe that they are not concerned by these events.

With these results in mind, the 2022 campaign was redesigned and is now focussed on the correct behaviour to adopt, that people were previously unaware of.

Spending the night at the office can save your life !

Having dinner in the attic can save your life !

Communication kit: responsible behaviour, spreading the word

The French Government has produced a communication kit that is available to all, and offers a quick and easy way to pass on information as to how to react in the event of intense rainfall or flash floods.