Intense rains have hit southern France since the end of last week, placing the Hérault department on red flood alert until Tuesday, December 23. An exceptional flood is expected on the Hérault river, with levels unseen since 1994 in Agde. Five other departments are on orange alert for floods.
Intense rains have been falling across southern France since the end of last week, causing significant flooding. Vigicrues has placed the Hérault department on red alert for « floods » until Tuesday, December 23, with an « exceptional » flood expected downstream on the Hérault river. Forecasters say such levels had not been reached in Agde since November 1994.
Five departments are on orange alert for floods until 6am Tuesday: Aveyron, Haute-Corse, Lozère, Tarn, and Var. A sixth, Ardèche, is also affected. In Laroque in Hérault, nearly 300 mm of rain fell on the evening of December 21, raising the river to nearly eight meters, the highest in 15 years. A resident told BFMTV: « It was impressive but people here are used to it, though the amount of water worried me a bit. » The town hall confirmed the rapid rise.
In Agde, the flood peak was reached around 8pm Monday, with stabilization underway. Waters have partially flooded the promenades along the river, and streets near the bridge have been closed, though the bridge remains open to traffic. Météo-France reports 70 to 100 mm accumulations in eastern Hérault, and locally 90 to 120 mm near Montpellier since the start of the day. Montpellier has closed its parks, gardens, cemeteries, zoo, and Christmas market; part of the tram network is stopped, and several quays along the Lez are inaccessible.
So far, the episode has caused no major damage. Hérault firefighters received 1082 calls, conducted 61 operations including 36 rescues, and sheltered about 100 people in Palavas-les-Flots and a Montpellier gym. Nearly 1000 homes are without power, including 520 in Montpellier, according to Enedis, which mobilized 40 technicians. In Gard, the Vidourle river overflowed but levels dropped Monday morning. In Millau, Aveyron, the flood reached 6.26 meters.
La Chaîne Météo warns of ongoing hydrological degradation, with risks of major flooding leading to significant overflows and impacts on populations and infrastructure. Rains will continue overnight with weakened intensities (5-10 mm/h), before fading and shifting southwest of Hérault, allowing an exit from orange rain-flooding vigilance. In Aveyron and Tarn, rain gives way to snow.
