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Charente-Maritime: the Saintes remand center evacuated due to flooding
Charente-Maritime: the Saintes remand center evacuated due to flooding – (France 2)
The rising waters of the Charente forced the movement of 142 detainees as well as residents in Saintes. In New Aquitaine, five departments remain on orange alert due to flooding on Thursday December 14.
The water in the Charente continues to rise on Thursday December 14, forcing the authorities to adapt. In Saintes (Charente-Maritime), 142 inmates from the remand center had to be evacuated to other penitentiary establishments on Thursday morning. Residents of several streets in the town also had to leave their homes.
The peak of the Charente flood is expected on Saturday or Sunday, and should be at a level as high as that of the last major flood, in 2021. Five departments in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region remained placed on orange “flood” vigilance by Météo-France at midday, Thursday. The Vigicrues government website details the watercourses concerned.
“We won’t be able to remove everything”
HAS Saintes, Thursday, firefighters went door to door to advise residents of at-risk areas. “I’m helping my mother move”explains a man. “We are going to host him at my house for a while. (…) We will not be able to remove everything, everything that is household appliances will remain”. One resident raised her furniture on concrete blocks to prevent damage as water threatened to seep into her living room. “We look at the forecasts for Vigicrues. (…) It’s true that it’s anxiety-inducing”she confides.
