In the aftermath of the torrential floods which devastated the Vénéon valley in Isère, several victims tried to leave the Oisans massif. Over the course of one night, around a hundred of them were urgently rehoused. In the watercourses, the flood is beginning but the access road remains cut off to traffic.
An entire valley woke up with a heavy heart. But for a large part of its inhabitants and one-day visitors, events have followed one another. Between evacuation and rehousing, the images scroll and jostle.
In a few hours, the hamlet of La Bérarde was devastated by a raging Vénéon and its tributary, the Etançons torrent burst its banks. A bridge and several sections of departmental road 530 were destroyed by the force of the torrent. Cut off from the world, its 97 occupants were quickly evacuated by helicopter, leaving behind gutted houses and chalets swept away by the waters.
Isolated in turn, the hamlet of Etages was spared from the floods. But its inhabitants experienced an unprecedented situation facing a furious Vénéon. “We suspected that something terrible was going to happen. […] We are used to having big floods in this river when there is heavy rain. But yesterday, we heard the sound of rocks rolling by the river.” says a resident.
Since Friday June 21, emergency services have been evacuating residents of the Vénéon valley. All were forced to leave their homes or accommodation urgently. While some residents of the valley were able to be relocated by relatives, several victims spent the night at the Palais des Sports des Deux Alpes.
This Saturday morning, six people were evacuated from Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans, landlocked. “We had to pack our bags very quickly and take what we could. We had no choice. We had two bags to take, no more. All the rest of our luggage is in the car“, confides a Lyon tourist evacuated by helicopter this Saturday morning.
Having come to spend a few days of vacation in the valley, the group of friends from Lyon reached Les Deux Alpes and are now trying to leave the place, with a heavy heart: “When we got there, we took a breather. […]We are shocked by the situation happening up there. We saw the mountain three days ago in very good condition. But right now, it’s catastrophic. It’s horrible ! We feel very sorry for the residents, those who will be deprived of all their summer income. It’s over for them. They really told us: ‘you are our last customers’,” Madeleine book.
After contacting the insurance companies, the group of friends will return to their Lyon region by taxi, while waiting to be able to find their car, immobilized in Saint-Christophe-en-Oisans. The other victims were temporarily relocated to holiday centers.
At the foot of the Deux Alpes, the town of Venosc is also isolated. Departmental road 530 was eaten away by water. It is impossible to leave the village by road. Around a hundred people remain stranded, surprised by these torrential floods.
“All vehicles are stuck here. We are working on the human side and we will move on to the material side later” confides Stéphane Sauvebois, deputy mayor of Deux Alpes. The councilor continues: “Life is not going to stop in Venosc because historically, there have always been floods. In the future, we will really have to take them into account and one day understand that our behavior must change. We must retreat in the face of this indomitable Veneon, whether physically or financially.”
/regions/2024/06/22/maxnewsspecial870235-6676c4f4b1252022578304.jpg)
Already deprived of drinking water, the town is expected to remain isolated for several days while the road is rebuilt. A situation which raises fears of a terrible summer season for the valley’s economy. Dominique Durand has been a restaurateur in the village for 30 years. He has already experienced several floods but never of this magnitude: “Last year, there was already a flood which washed away half of the parking lot and the campsite. This year, it is even more serious with a higher flow.“
“I’m angry because it was said. Everything that happened today was written! I’ve been saying it since last year.”
Dominique Durand, restaurateur in Venosc
A few weeks before the school holidays, the village of Venosc finds itself almost cut off from the world. “This is going to be a disaster. I have a team that is due to arrive on July 1st with 3 salaries. I don’t know at all if I maintain the salaries, the teams. I don’t know if I’m playing the game of economic activity in the valley because if we all stop because of the flood, it’s the death of the valley.” worries Dominique Durand.
To reach the Deux Alpes resort, victims can take the Venosc cable car during the day. Coming to participate in the Mountain of Hell, a mountain bike competition, Nathan Ravel chose to park his camper van in the town’s parking lot. Faced with the situation, he had to resolve to abandon his vehicle.
“I have a friend who is upstairs with his car. I’m going to try to go back with all my essential belongings. I’ll try to join him to avoid ending up overwhelmed. […] Unless it knows how to fly, for now, my camper van won’t be able to move“, quips the mountain biker before adding: “I tried to leave this morning, the road is eaten up. The river took her away. This is not joy! I’m a little disgusted. I hope to be able to leave as soon as possible.“
Due to the weather conditions and its consequences, the Mountain of Hell organization has decided to cancel the competition which was to take place from June 21 to 23. More than 1,000 riders met at Les Deux Alpes for this 2024 edition.
If the bike park remains open all weekend, the activities are modified. Present on set, the Haute-Savoie rider has decided to schedule a new screening of his latest documentary “Dolomites” this Saturday, June 22, in support of those affected by these bad weather.
“We only have to endure the cancellation of the race. Of course, it’s my job. But on the other hand, people have lost their homes. There are people and I have content that can be used for this cause. This is why all the funds will be donated to the victims.“, specifies Kilian Bron.
The rider will therefore offer a second screening at the Palais des Sports des Deux Alpes this Saturday at 7:45 p.m. This film-conference session, at an entry price of eight euros, should make it possible to raise initial funds for the reconstruction of the Vénéon valley.