Southern Gard and eastern Hérault regions face severe flooding, damaging homes, shops, and businesses, with some areas submerged under a meter of water.
Southern Gard and Hérault regions flooded
Autumn has proven difficult for merchants and individuals in the southern Gard and eastern Hérault regions, following a new wave of flooding that affected homes and shops. Up to 200 mm of rain fell locally between Monday and Tuesday, particularly in Lunel, Saint-Just, Saint-Nazaire, and Villetelle. Heavy rains trap cars and submerge streets
These heavy rains occurred within a few hours, trapping cars and submerging some streets under a meter of water. Stores are still being cleaned, with professional equipment completely unusable. The Pont de Vesse district in Lunel is among the most affected in the entire commune. Local officials visit affected merchants
On Wednesday afternoon, the mayor Paulette Gougeon, accompanied by the president of Lunel Agglo Jérôme Boisson and the services of the Hérault Chamber of Commerce, visited the merchants on Avenue General de Gaulle to provide psychological support and guidance on how to recover. During the visit, some were still cleaning and scrubbing. Wine cellar suffers significant damage
At the wine cellar Tradition et Bon Goût Français, dozens of boxes are stacked, still damp and unusable after the water entered at the beginning of the week. The owner, Hubert Lavotte, stated that the floodwaters came through his neighbors' properties behind his cellar, with between 40 and 60 centimeters of water entering his shop. Real estate agency seeks insurance help
The Orpi agency, located next to the wine cellar, was in the final stages of cleaning during the visit, assisted by the strong solidarity of neighboring merchants, particularly for scraping the floor. Bruno Hermabessière, owner of the real estate agency, asked for pressure to be put on insurance companies to send an expert as soon as possible. Employment and beauty salon hit hard
The temporary employment agency Domino RH has suffered another blow after 30 centimeters of water entered their premises, damaging the floorboards and walls. Employees Charlène and Cécilia stated that they saw alerts on their phones and the photo of the street, knowing they wouldn't be able to open. The beauty salon Mademoiselle Capricieuse was also not spared, with useless furniture, a detached and waterlogged floor, and seriously damaged professional equipment. Lunel's city center partially affected
The city center of Lunel was minimally affected, except for stores with very low cellars, which are often flooded, since the city of Lunel has been built above the Étang de l'Or. Anita, owner of the famous shop Lunel Gardian, suffered the consequences, with 50 centimeters of water in her cellar. She explained that twenty years ago, they installed a floor with a pump, and for several days, she has been suctioning the water, which flowed through a pipe before draining into the toilets nearby. Classic cars ruined in Cailar
In Cailar, many classic cars became unusable. Audrey Carli, a resident of Cailar for 24 years, experienced horror during the night of Monday to Tuesday. She saw what she considered her most valuable possessions become unusable. "We had 50 centimeters of water in our street and 40 centimeters in our classic cars, which are also our daily vehicles," she lamented. Local farm loses livestock
Not far away, still in Cailar, the Ferme du Mas de la Plaine has also suffered significant damage. Marina Pages, a farmer since September, lamented that on the night of Monday to Tuesday, they were flooded and unfortunately lost many chickens that drowned. It is a difficult trial for their small farm, in which they put all their heart and passion. The beautiful solidarity among neighbors allowed her other animals to stay dry, with water and food.
