Céline and Eddy lost everything on the night of June 20 to 21 when violent hailstorms hit the northwest of the Dordogne. Their house is uninhabitable, and almost a week later, they can’t do anything. They wait for the passage of the expert.
There is a tarp on the roof, but it keeps falling and you can hear the drops of water running between the wooden planks. “In the bathroom you see the strips, they are all coming out. The water keeps coming in and the walls absorb, the ceilings absorb. Until the moment when it will collapse with the humidity”shows Céline, her eyes turned upwards.
Here, at a place called Champagnac in Vanxains, we discover a landscape of desolation. Branches cover the ground, tarpaulins cover the roofs of the houses, and pieces of tiles lie on the ground. As in 45 other municipalities in the north-west of the department, violent hailstorms fell on the night of June 20 to 21.
The expert must come on Monday
Since Tuesday, Céline and her husband Eddy come every day. It’s cold, waterlogged towels are lying around everywhere and a damp smell emanates from the bedrooms upstairs. They empty the fridges, collect some belongings and trinkets. Every day it rains, and every day the house deteriorates a little more. “We feel helpless. We can’t do anything else until the expert comes. There are still broken glass in the living room, we can’t clean up. I can’t even come with it. my children, I feel like it’s not progressing. It’s a long time”says Celine.
This house, they bought it seven years ago and they almost completely renovated it themselves. The work was finished, a few hours before the storm the little family was enjoying their new swimming pool. “We were really reaching the goal. Now we have nothing left”sighs Celine. “We almost want to give up everything and make our life elsewhere.”
Staying with friends
And waiting to be rehoused, Céline and Eddy live with friends in Douchapt. The visit of the expert will allow them to engage in discussions with their insurer and the craftsmen, and perhaps, to start the work quickly.