Noordwest-Frankrijk zucht onder zwaarste overstromingen in 40 jaar

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Noordwest-Frankrijk zucht onder zwaarste overstromingen in 40 jaar

Storm Herminia zorgt in het noordwesten van Frankrijk voor de zwaarste overstromingen in veertig jaar. In de regio Bretagne werden honderden mensen geëvacueerd en in drie departementen geldt sinds dinsdagochtend code rood.

Het gaat om de departementen Morbihan, Loire-Atlantique en Ille-et-Vilaine. In die laatste regio werden volgens zender BFMTV al zo'n zeshonderd mensen geëvacueerd.

In Rennes, de hoofdstad van Bretagne, zijn volgens burgemeester Nathalie Appéré zo'n 15.000 mensen getroffen door het noodweer. Daar viel in de afgelopen dagen bijna 170 liter neerslag per vierkante meter. In Guichen zitten meer dan 2.300 mensen zonder stroom.

Herminia raast sinds zondag over het gebied, nadat storm Éowyn het gebied afgelopen vrijdag al had getroffen. En het slechte weer blijft nog even; de verwachting is namelijk dat storm Ivo het gebied woensdag bereikt.

Door storm Herminia is er veel sneeuw gevallen in de Alpen. De autoriteiten in Zwitserland en Frankrijk waarschuwen daarom voor vergroot lawinegevaar. In vier andere departementen in het westen van het land is code oranje van kracht.

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Rennes hit by worst floods in 40 years as Storm Herminia hits France

Storm Herminia has been battering Normandy and Brittany since January 25, 2025, causing widespread flooding, evacuations, and school closures. At least two people have lost their lives.

Storm Herminia has caused severe flooding in Normandy and Brittany, resulting in at least two deaths and the evacuation of nearly 400 residents in Rennes.

Water levels in the Vilaine River basin have reached or surpassed historic levels recorded in 2001, with areas like Redon expecting further increases before the end of the week.

The mayor of Rennes described the flooding as the worst in 40 years.

A new storm named Ivo is forecast to bring gale-force winds of 80 – 100 km/h (50 – 62 mph) and moderate rainfall to Brittany on January 29, exacerbating ongoing flooding.

At least two people have died in France as a result of Storm Herminia, which has caused significant flooding in Normandy and Brittany since Saturday, January 25, with severe impacts reported on Monday.

Rennes, one of the worst-hit areas, has seen its worst flooding in 40 years, with nearly 400 people evacuated due to the storm, according to the mayor.

“We no longer have heating or electricity. We woke up with water up to our hips,” said Bakari, Moussa, and Kena, three young workers whose home was flooded. They explained that they had to climb out of their window to escape and later sought refuge at a local kebab shop to charge their phones.

Eaux et Vilaine, the public territorial authority for the Vilaine basin, is monitoring the water levels. In Guichen, the water level of the Vilaine River matches that of January 2001, while in Guipry-Messac, the 2001 record has been surpassed by 20 cm (7.9 inches).

Flooding in the area is expected to stabilize on January 28, but in Redon, water levels are still rising. Currently at 4.66 m (15.3 feet), the level of the Vilaine could reach the historic high of 5.35 m (17.6 feet), recorded in 2001, by Wednesday. No decline is expected before the end of the week, according to an Eaux et Vilaine press release.

The floodwaters have completely submerged many areas, forcing the closure of numerous schools and roads.

All schools in Redon have been closed due to flooding, and temporary dams have been set up along the Quays of Redon Marina.

On the RD764 in Redon, vehicles are navigating through floodwaters as the road remains blocked due to flooding from the Oust River and the Nantes-Brest Canal. The towpath entrance to the Nantes-Brest Canal is also underwater.

At least 32 municipalities have activated emergency plans in anticipation of 25 - 30 mm (1 - 1.2 inches) of additional rainfall expected across the region on Wednesday, January 29.

"Thousands of hectares of meadows are flooded. All the streams are overflowing, and all bodies of water are at their maximum capacity," said Jean-Luc Chenut, president of the department of Ille-et-Vilaine.

A new weather system, named Ivo, is expected to arrive on Wednesday morning off the coast of Brittany, bringing gale-force winds of 80 - 100 km/h (50 - 62 mph) to the Atlantic coast, along with moderate rainfall to the northwest. Although the cumulative rainfall is expected to be moderate, it will exacerbate the ongoing severe flooding.