The beginning of the week, marked by the floods of several Moselle rivers, was difficult for the inhabitants of Loutremange, a former village attached to the municipality of Condé-Northen. For years, when the German Nied is in flood, it also provokes, by ricochet, the overflow of the stream which adjoins the small town. And that cuts the inhabitants of the rest of the town, the time for the water to come down.
The stream is not maintained, it is very blocked, the water no longer follows its bed and floods the only outlet remaining in the event of a flood. “- Lionel, inhabitant of Loutremange
Lionel, farmer, smiles, supporting photos in front of the small chapel of Loutremange: “You would have come earlier this week, you couldn’t have stood here without tall fisherman’s boots. Loutremange is a flood-prone village, it’s not a scoop. But here, the phenomenon is twofold. The stream is not maintained, it is very blocked, the water no longer follows its bed and floods the only remaining outlet in the event of a flood.“
There are families who called me, asking me how to pick up the children from school or in case of emergency. “- Patrick Pierre, mayor of Condé-Northen
As a result, residents are forced to leave their cars at the entrance to the village, a little higher, and to cross on foot, in boots, but for that, it is better to be accustomed, and this is not the case for everyone, explains the mayor of Condé Northen, Patrick Pierre: “The elders are almost all farmers, they have tractors. But for newcomers, it’s more complicated. There are families who called me, asking me how to pick up the children from school or in case of emergency. They were stuck, they had water as soon as they left their homes. “
An interview “which has continued to be delayed”
For years he has been calling for maintenance work on this stream, to consolidate the banks and ensure that the water flows better. “For X reasons, it has continued to be delayed, between the different studies, the different state services, the legal texts that have changed. It was supposed to be done in August last year, and it still hasn’t been done. I no longer dare to give a date to the inhabitants …“But the Trois Nied whitewater union, of which the town belongs, promises: this work is scheduled, and will be done in 2022.